Friendly Fire
by mindthegapper
Summary: Nikolas and Claudia's lives get all mixed up together again.
1. Chapter 1

Voices carried from the 5th floor General Hospital waiting area into a nearby corridor.

"You're not falling for him, are you?"  
"No. It's just ... back when we planned this, I didn't _know_ him. And he's not like I thought -- like we thought."  
"Next time I ask that question, stop at 'No.'"

Rebecca leaned in toward Ethan and lowered her voice. "This isn't a good place to talk."

Ethan rolled his eyes, and got up, making his way to the elevator bank. "Fine. The Haunted Star --"

"Right. Because no one ever overhears anything there --"

"One hour."

Ethan ducked into an arriving elevator. After another quick look around, Rebecca hurried off.

Nikolas eased back into the adjoining corridor, out of sight, trying to focus on just one emotion, one train of thought. Half-wit. He had one relative left who knew him inside out -- Alexis. And he'd brushed her off for a carbon copy with an ulterior motive. Great. Add guilt to the embarrassment of stupidity. And the pain of losing Emily twice. But over all that, something more powerful was searing through him like an electric shock. Rage. He couldn't see straight. If he stayed one more moment, he'd explode. Or he'd get himself under control. Because that was what Cassadines did with their anger -- they got it under control and THEN they annihilated the enemy.

"Hey. What did you want to talk about?"

Nikolas almost jumped ten feet when Liz spoke to him. Yeah. Right. Control.

Nikolas quickly recovered. Careful. Elizabeth was very good at reading him. Too good. What was her question? Right. The reason he'd asked to meet with her before he'd gotten blindsided. "Lucky."

But before he could continue, he caught a glimpse of Rebecca making her way to the corridor. He grabbed Liz's shoulder and moved her into the corridor with him. Liz cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Nikolas... What's with the subterfuge?"

He peered over Liz's shoulder. "I'm sorry. But I have something to take care of. Come by Spoon Island later?"

Liz followed Nikolas' gaze and then turned back to him. "Sure."

"Liz," Nikolas said. "I wasn't here." Elizabeth nodded.

Nikolas hurried into a patient's room just in time. Rebecca never saw him.

Rebecca smiled at Liz as she passed her. Liz smiled back, but the second she was looking at Rebecca's back, her eyes narrowed. Liz waited a moment, and then followed Rebecca down the hall.

***************************************************

Nikolas peered through the door window. When Rebecca was gone, he reached for the door handle.

A groggy groan came from the hospital bed. Apparently, he wasn't alone. And he knew that voice.

Claudia struggled to sit up. "Nikolas? What are you doing here?"

Nikolas looked around the room, with its multitude of machines. All at once, he felt a million miles away from what had happened outside. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Claudia scoffed as much as she could in her weakened state. "This is my home away from home."

"What happened?"

Claudia's brow furrowed, trying to remember. "Car accident. I think. Last thing I remember was being in a car."

Nikolas moved a chair next to the bed and sat down. He looked up at the monitors, and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Without warning, Claudia grabbed his hand. He tried to pull away, but Claudia pulled him closer to the bed, and said, "Listen ."

Claudia took in his sudden apprehension, and let go of his hand. "Sorry. I just -- could you find a doctor or somebody who knows something? I need to know if my baby's okay."

They stared at each other. She broke first.

"Yeah. I'm pregnant."

She silently willed him not to say anything. She remembered being in his bed and ranting about how much she hated Sonny. She really didn't want to explain any of this. Because Nikolas always made her tell the truth. She didn't know how much trust she had left in her, and she really, really didn't want to give herself a reason to hurt him.

But Nikolas didn't ask any questions. He just patted her hand and said, "I'll find somebody."

He got up to leave, and then turned back to her. He wasn't going to be able to stop himself from asking one question. Which was simple, but held a lot more than its literal meaning: "Where's Sonny now?"

Direct hit. And that was why she liked Nikolas. He never seemed to notice that she wasn't a lady. She errantly wondered what Nikolas would have thought if she'd passed that napkin to him her first night in town.

Which brought her back to his question. Where was Sonny? "Probably off with It Came From Bensonhurst."

"What's that?"

"Olivia Falconari," Claudia bit off the words. Wow. From zero to ninety in three seconds.

Nikolas pretended to cower. And somehow Claudia found herself laughing. "Doctor, please," she demanded.

"You're very charming when you want to be," Nikolas sarcastically pointed out.

"This coming from 'Mr. I'm So Anti-Social I Live on My Own Island."

Nikolas had a unexpected memory of Claudia babbling in his arms as he carried her down the Wyndemere stairs. A life time ago. There was something a little bit different about her now. Her hand went to her abdomen. And he suddenly knew. The whole time on the island, Claudia had been fatalistic about her own lifespan. But as a mother, she ...

He watched Claudia try to make out the fetal monitor.

"Hey." He gently tugged her attention away from the monitor.

"What?"

"I'll be right back."

Nikolas opened the door to find Sonny standing right outside.

"What are you doing here, Nikolas?," he said suspiciously.

Nikolas shot right back. "I think the bigger question is why weren't you here, Sonny?"


	2. Chapter 2

Claudia looked from Nikolas to Sonny. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something felt weird. There was a history here. She could find out about that later.

"Sonny?," she interrupted the staring contest. "Where were you?"

Sonny turned to Claudia. "With a friend."

"A friend." Yeah. Guess who?

"Yeah, I needed a friend to hold me back," Sonny kept his fury under wraps, but Claudia had lived with him long enough to catch the violence underneath his words. Her heart monitor immediately began to speed up.

"What's going on, Claudia?" Nikolas hurried to her bedside.

"Calm down, Claudia." Sonny was completely exasperated with Claudia. She always went into dramatic overdrive when the baby was in the worst danger. Sonny headed for the door to try to find a doctor.

Claudia stared at the fetal monitor. Nikolas also tried making heads or tails of it. "Do you think the baby's in trouble?," she asked Nikolas.

"I can answer that," Dr. Lee said, entering the room, just as Sonny reached the door. She took note of Nikolas. "I need to speak to the parents alone."

Nikolas started for the door, but didn't quite make it. Something was wrong. Between Claudia and Sonny. And now it looked like he wasn't going to be around long enough to pick anything up by observing.

I'll just have to find out another way, thought Nikolas. Like in Italian.

"Egli parla italiano? " _Does he speak Italian? _As soon as the first word was out of his mouth, he knew Claudia understood.

"Egli probabilmente lo capisce," Claudia answered carefully. _He probably understands it._

"You bet he does," said Sonny.

Right. Italian was too close to Spanish. Nikolas was so stymied, he almost missed the next words out of Claudia's mouth. "Но он не знает русский язык." _But he does not know Russian language._

Nikolas' eyes widened. How many languages did Claudia know? Never mind. Important question first. "Что происходит? " _What's happening?_

"Он знает, что я отвечаю за то, что произошло --" She caught herself before she said Michael's name. " Для своего сына. ." _He knows that I am responsible for what happened. To his son._

"What are you telling him, Claudia?," Sonny said, with just a hint of menace.

"Он собирается убить тебя." _He is going to kill you. _Nikolas stated it like fact, but Claudia understood it like the question he meant it to be.

"Не с ребенком внутри меня." _Not with the child inside me._

And Nikolas got it. The whole thing. The pregnancy. The fact that Claudia never thought about long-term. A year was long-term to Claudia. And now the months were ticking down.

Sonny interrupted his thoughts. "You sure she's telling you the truth, Nikolas? Claudia's awfully good at lying."

"Mr. Corinthos," said Dr. Lee. "This isn't the time."

"You're right," said Sonny. "I'm sorry."

"Claudia has never lied to me. She's never had to." Nikolas sidestepped Sonny, and spoke directly to Claudia. "You take care of yourself and that baby."

And for the first time since her mother left America, Claudia believed in fairytale princes.

Nikolas left the room and kept walking. He'd find out how the baby was doing later. When he read the file.

*****************************************

Night. Nikolas's hospital office.

Nikolas closed Claudia's hospital file. High risk pregnancy. And even though the doctors didn't know enough about Claudia's living conditions to put it in her chart, there were two lives at stake.

He picked up his phone and dialed.

*****************************************

Claudia's Hospital Room.

Nikolas opened the door only to find Sonny sitting by Claudia's bedside.

"It's pretty late for you to be visiting my wife, Cassadine. What's so important that you had to come here now?"

Claudia jerked awake, and sat up in her bed. "What's happening?"

"Nikolas Cassadine is here for a visit." Sonny checked Claudia's reaction, but she was too tired to be anything but puzzled.

Nikolas smiled at her. "Just working late. Thought I'd check in on you."

"Thanks."

Sonny stood up, and prevented Nikolas from entering any further. He pressed his forefinger into Nikolas' chest as he spoke. "I'm going to be here all night. Checking on her. So it's all covered. You can go home. And tell you what..." Sonny flashed his dimples. "I'll call you if we need you." The smile faded. "You stay away until I do."

Nikolas looked over at Claudia. "I'm glad you're resting. Good night."

"Good night," answered Claudia as she sunk back into the bed.

Nikolas left the room.

"Yeah. Nighty-night," said Sonny.

"Shut up, Sonny," Claudia said, rolling over.

Sonny sat back down in the chair next to his wife. What was this thing with her and Nikolas? At heart, Sonny didn't think they were sleeping together. Sonny, Ric _and_ Nikolas? That was too much even for Claudia. But it looked like something even stranger. It looked like they were friends. And Claudia didn't do friendship. What _was_ this?

Outside, Nikolas headed home to think up a new game plan.

*****************************************

Sunlight streamed into Claudia's hospital room, waking her. Sonny was awake, right by her side. It looked like he'd been there, awake, all night. And he looked cranky. She couldn't blame him, but she was pretty cranky herself. Her sleep had been fitful with Sonny by her side. It's hard to go to sleep when you're not sure if you're going to wake up _because your husband wants to kill you_.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi."

The door to Claudia's room flung open.

"Good morning, Miss Zacchara," said Alfred, as he entered the room bearing a breakfast tray.

"Mrs. Corinthos," Sonny muttered. "Max!"

Max quickly followed Alfred into the room. "Yeah, boss."

"What is this?"

"This is breakfast," said Alfred. "Compliments of Master Nikolas."

"Hi, Alfred," said Claudia, beginning to smile.

No sooner had Alfred set the tray down then Sonny pulled the tray cover off. Sure enough, a hot and great-smelling breakfast was on the tray.

Sonny grabbed Alfred's collar and pulled the man toward him.

"Sir!," Alfred gasped.

"Where's your "master"?" Sonny queried him.

"Sonny, let go of Alfred."

"Master Nikolas is in his office, sir. Now, please. Unhand me."

Sonny let go of Alfred. He rubbed his own stubbled face. He slowly turned to Claudia.

"After everything else, you're going to kill me for eating a little breakfast?," she asked.

Sonny sized up the situation, and then answered slowly. "Eat up."

He headed out of the room.

Claudia looked sheepishly at Alfred. "Sorry. I don't know what he was thinking, sending you here. Hey, are those my scones?"

"Yes, Mrs. Corinthos." He shook a little while saying it, and looked over at Max nervously.

"Miss Zacchara," Claudia corrected. She took a bite and then turned to Max. "You're scaring him. Look at him. Do you think he's a threat?"

"No, Mrs. C."

"Do you think you could wait outside?"

"Sure, Mrs. C."

Max left the room. The door shut behind him.

"I hate to say it, Alfred, but I think Sonny's gonna kill your boss. Not literally. Not yet anyway. What was Nik thinking, sending you here with breakfast?"

"Actually, Miss Zacchara, he was counting on Mr. Corinthos seeking him out. The breakfast, such as it is --"

"Hey, this is a _great_ breakfast."

"Yes, but it's also a, how shall I put this? A cover."

"A what?"

"Master Nikolas wanted to make sure you had this." Alfred pulled a .40 Smith and Wesson semi-automatic from his inside jacket pocket. "Or this." He pulled out a .38 Special revolver. "He didn't know which you'd prefer."

Claudia looked at Alfred as though he were an alien life form, and then quickly took the semi-automatic. "I'm more of a semi girl." She tucked the gun under her pillow.

Alfred quickly placed the revolver back into his coat pocket. "You should really keep eating, Miss Zacchara, if our cover story is to work."

"Right." Claudia dug in.

"You see, Master Nikolas says you need to avoid stress, and he also says that the only way for that to happen is for you to feel safe. And the only way for that to happen is for you to be able to protect yourself."

Claudia's eyes welled up. "Well. You tell Master Nikolas that he was right, and he was also right, and he was right." Claudia laughed. "And tell him thank you."

*****************************************

"What's so hard about staying away from Claudia? Most people _try_ to stay away from Claudia."

"Not going to happen," Nikolas replied evenly.

"Maybe you don't understand what happens to people who --"

"Who what, Sonny? Emily obeyed you and Jason all the time, and she got killed anyway. I'll take my chances."

Both men started when Elizabeth entered the room. She looked back and forth between them. "Sonny. Nikolas."

"I was just leaving, Liz." Sonny shot a parting glance at Nikolas. "Stay away from my wife."

The door slammed shut behind Sonny.

Liz and Nikolas muddled through an awkward silence. I guess it's up to me, thought Liz.

"So when you say 'I'll see you later on Spoon Island,' you mean really later. As in next week. Or something," she teased Nikolas.

Nikolas had forgotten about yesterday. "I'm sorry. I got tied up."

"In Claudia Zacchara?"

"It's complicated."

"Is that Cassadine for 'I don't want to talk about it?," Liz pressed.

"Yes."

"Okay." Liz was giving up a little too easily. "I followed Rebecca yesterday." Just as he thought: way too easily.

"I want you to stay out of this, Liz," Nikolas warned.

"I'm already in it, Nikolas. I'm your friend," she reminded him.

Nikolas leaned against his desk, tapping his foot, considering his options. Liz giving this up was a lost cause. And he didn't want her going around without him having any idea of the trouble she was getting into on his behalf.

"All right," he said suddenly.

"All right what?," she asked, taken aback.

"We do this Rebecca thing together," he gave in. "But no one but us can know about it." He reconsidered. "Except Alexis. But I get to tell her."

"Deal."

Liz came and leaned beside him. She took note of Claudia's hospital file. There was a little Stefan in Nikolas after all.

"Speaking of deals," she segued. "What's the deal with you and Claudia Zacchara?"

"Corinthos. And there's no deal. We're just, I don't know -- we have some things in common."

"What does that mean?" Liz's eyes widened. "Are you falling for her or something?"

Nikolas' face fell. "I wish I was," he said. "After Emily -- and now Rebecca -- I don't think I'm ever going to be able to feel like that again."

*****************************************

Alfred and the tray were gone by the time Sonny got back to Claudia's hospital room.

"You have a good breakfast?"

"Yes."

Claudia made a big show of rolling onto her side. She tucked her hand under her pillow.

"Comfortable?"

"I tell you what," Claudia said. "I'm so comfortable, I'm going to take a nice, long nap." She closed her eyes and smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Late afternoon. Wyndemere. The Study.

Nikolas sat on the floor, playing with Spencer.

"You sure you don't want to play with a real horse, Spencer?"

"No."

Too bad Spencer wasn't old enough to mess with his mind about what "no" meant. A little "No, you're not sure? Or no, you don't want to play with a real horse?" would go a long way to getting Nikolas back on Sheba. Instead, Nikolas was stuck in that place that all parents eventually reach. The Land of No. No, no, no. There was no question, no suggestion that could be answered any other way. Nikolas wasn't sure how long this phase was going to last; all he knew was that he at least had a few hours until the roughest time of all in The Land of No: bedtime.

"Master Nikolas, I didn't know you you had returned."

Nikolas looked up at Alfred. "Yes, I thought it best, once Mrs. Corinthos was taken care of. How was she when you left her?"

"Most grateful for the ..." Alfred coughed, noticing Spencer. "... piece."

"Very good, Alfred," said Nikolas, impressed that Alfred even knew what a "piece" was. Maybe Alfred watched old gangster movies at night when he retired. Nikolas had made it through one gangster movie since he'd moved to Port Charles. Then he figured he had enough of gangsters in the real world. Better to stick to Andrei Tarkovsky. Which reminded him of Claudia's surprise fluency in Russian. He shook his head in amusement, and then realized Alfred was waiting for something more from him. "Thank you for taking care of that for me. I trust Mr. Corinthos wasn't too rambunctious?"

"No, sir. Miss Zacchara interceded. And then --"

"And then he came to me. Very good, Alfred," Nikolas dismissed Alfred. But apparently there was more. Nikolas looked questioningly at Alfred.

"Sir, would you be wanting dinner?"

Before he caught himself, Nikolas asked Spencer, "Are you ready to eat, guy?"

"No."

Nikolas steeled himself. They were going to eat. Now it was a matter of whether there'd be a chorus of "no's" or a full-blown temper tantrum.

*******************************************************

Claudia's hospital room.

Claudia picked at her tray of hospital food.

"You know," said Sonny, "if you don't like what they gave you, we can order in. Or I can make you something and bring it to you."

Claudia looked up at Sonny. "This" she gestured at a lump of over-dry chicken, "may offend me, but it won't kill me. The hospital doesn't need that kind of lawsuit. You, on the other hand..."

Sonny couldn't resist the obvious rejoinder. "Maybe you only eat food that Nikolas Cassadine brings you."

"Maybe you're changing the subject," she shot back.

Sonny leaned in to Claudia. "You wanna tell me what's going on between you two?"

"Nothing's going on between us. And you know what? Even if there was, no matter what I told you, you'd still think I was lying. I don't know why we bother talking any more. We should just skip to the threats."

Sonny wasn't going to play this game. No more stress for Claudia meant no more high octane debates, no more operatic arguments.

Claudia waited. And then spoke again. "His sister dated my brother. We know each other."

Sonny almost let it go. And then, "And that's why you speak in foreign languages with him."

"I'm not interested in talking about Nikolas Cassadine with you." Claudia was through waiting for Sonny to take the initiative. "I want to know what you're going to do. About me."

"It's my baby."

"That's not a surprise to _me_," Claudia choked out defensively. All those weeks of proclaiming fidelity had made this a hair-trigger response. "I always knew that. And I told you I don't care who the father is. But maybe it means something to you. What _does_ it mean to you?"

"You're carrying my baby. It means what it means. I can't do anything to you. You're safe." Ordinarily, Sonny wouldn't care if Claudia believed him, but right now his child's future hinged on her blood pressure. Back to the other subject. "Nikolas Cassadine's sister isn't dating your brother anymore."

"Really?" Claudia pointed her butter knife at Sonny. "I hadn't noticed. Who _is_ Johnny seeing now?"

Sonny took the knife from her. "Maybe it's better if we don't talk."

After a moment, Claudia went back to picking at her chicken. She couldn't believe she'd spent her whole life being miserable, and now it looked like the rest of her life was going to go the same way.

**********************************************************

Elizabeth's cottage.

Lucky had come over with a bucket of chicken and a full set of sides. Which was great, because Liz had done so much busybody work today, she hadn't had time for anything else. Busybody work. That was pretty funny. Liz looked up from setting the table and considered sharing the joke with Lucky. Nope. Not going to share the joke. The joke would leave her open to too many questions. And she wasn't ready to share any answers with Lucky.

The truth was that ever since Lucky had come back from being held captive by Helena, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. And he definitely had the knight in shining armor thing going on. So telling Lucky about Rebecca and Ethan would do more harm than good. Because of Rebecca. On the other hand, if Liz voiced a suspicion about Ethan -- and Ethan alone ... Not a bad idea. Needed a little tweaking. She'd run it by Nikolas when she saw him again.

**********************************************************

Later that evening. Hospital. Fifth floor nurses station.

Rebecca typed the last of her lab reports into the computer. Nikolas hadn't called all day, and now she was starting to wonder where he'd disappeared to. Every hour that went by, she got a little more anxious. Did he know? Had someone told him? Had he figured it out? She was getting desperate enough to do something stupid and completely out of proportion. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that the two nurses at the station were chattering away, distracting her from the Paranoia Chorus in her head.

"I don't know. I thought he had a thing for hospital people. You know, first Dr. Scorpio, then the young Dr. Quartermaine and then Nadine. But this is really different."

Nadine. Why was that name familiar?

"I definitely think something's going on. First he sends over breakfast, and then the husband storms into his office. And you know what else?"  
"What?"  
"I think he's been in her file." The dark-haired nurse gestured to the file at the top of the stack.  
"Now I know you're hallucinating. Mr. Cassadine is as straight as they come."

What?

"This hub, Nurse Jackson, is a place of business," Epiphany interrupted. "These charts, Nurse Grabowski, are far from done. What are we paying you for?"

The nurses scurried to the other side of the hub, with Epiphany close behind. Rebecca sidled over to the files and looked at the name on the top chart.

"Miss Shaw," Epiphany was standing over her. When did that happen? "Did you misplace something?"

"No."

"Then I suggest you get back to your own pile of goodies."

"Right." Rebecca went back to the computer and closed her current file. She checked over her shoulder. No Epiphany. She typed in a new name. Claudia Corinthos.

*************************************************************

Claudia's hospital room.

Sonny had finally left to go get himself dinner. Of course, he'd left strict instructions about who could and couldn't get into the room. Basically, unless you worked for the hospital (and your name wasn't Nikolas Cassadine), you didn't get in.

Just as well. If there were no surprise visits, the gun could stay under her pillow. If Sonny really did decide to try anything, she had enough time to get to it.

She couldn't get over the gun. This whole time, she'd been thinking that Sonny got her -- because of the Life, the Business. And there was definitely something to that. They were great at business together. And the sex was phenomenal. But Nikolas... Nikolas _got_ her. The constant threat of death from those closest to you. The isolated childhood. The way her place in the family dictated the person she'd become. It was probably better not to follow this train of thought. She'd closed that door a long time ago. But she would never forget Alfred and that gun as long as she lived. However long that was.

She reluctantly turned her thoughts away from Nikolas and toward her brother. How come he hadn't been to see her yet?

She looked up as the door to her room opened. A Lab Technician? At this hour? Then she looked into the Technician's face. Ah. She knew who this was. This was the lookalike. This could be fun. Claudia decided she was never getting well. Out in the real world, people avoided her. Her life was so much more social in a hospital room.

The Technician spoke. "What's with you and Nikolas Cassadine?"

And Claudia remembered that the reason most people annoyed her: they were tedious and repetitive.


	4. Chapter 4

Claudia's hospital room.

Claudia felt like a cat about to toy with a very squeaky mouse. Let's face it, there was a lot of fun to be had here. At the very least, she could use the distraction of someone else's agony for awhile. Cryptic it up a bit. But. There was Nikolas. Claudia felt out of the loop. Ever since she stopped toying with Nurse Nadine, she hadn't been keeping track of Nikolas' life -- let alone his love-life. Okay. If Nikolas was going to insist on getting Claudia so well, the least she could do was return the favor. So what would Nikolas want? Was he seeing the Technician? Or did he want to get rid of the Technician? Nikolas basically idled in circumspect, so who knew what was going on with him. Although ... now that she thought about it ... circumspect wouldn't be such a bad choice. Then Nikolas could play it any way he needed to when the time came.

Not to mention it wouldn't hurt to have the Technician and her jealous suspicions gone before Sonny got back. Time to dust off the charm. Charm. That thing hadn't been in her arsenal since the early 80's. She hoped it wasn't too creaky.

"Hi." Not bad. "I'm Claudia -- Claudia Corinthos. And you're asking about Nikolas Cassidine?"

"Yeah." Rebecca couldn't read this woman at all.

"He's a good guy."

"I know, but --"

"The thing is -- what's your name? I know you look like the deceased wife, but I never did catch your name."

"Rebecca. I -- "

"The thing is, Rebecca, I'm a liar. I don't mean that I occasionally tell a small fib. I mean that I'm so good that sometimes _I_ don't know when I'm lying. So anything that comes out of my mouth, you're going to someday hear is a lie. From someone. Eventually. And after that, you won't know what to believe. To be honest here, Becky -- can I call you Becky? -- I probably won't know what to believe at that point either."

Claudia kept a straight face, but added a smidgeon of her best soul-baring look to it before she went on. "Nikolas is straightforward. He's the real deal. So before you force me to say something that will ending up coming back to bite both of us, truth or no, ask Nikolas your questions. He'll tell you the truth, and you can take it to the bank."

Claudia watched a dozen expressions flicker over Rebecca's face. One finally settled.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't be here," Rebecca said.

Claudia flinched as the handle to her room's door turned. Please, oh please, let this not be Sonny. And for once, she got what she wanted. It was Nurse Johnson.

"Miss Shaw, I thought you were off the clock," Epiphany said.

Claudia was about to cover for her, when Rebecca countered, "I am -- I mean, I'm supposed to be, but ..." Rebecca thought fast. "... Nurse Webber asked me to stop by."

"For what?" Epiphany was not going to let her just slip away.

"I don't know. I need to check the chart."

Epiphany held up a file. "This chart?"

"I guess so," Rebecca answered.

Claudia sat back and watched. This was better than the cat/mouse game. Not as good as a crossword puzzle, but it would do.

Nurse Epiphany opened the chart and gave it a perfunctory once-over. She flipped it shut. "Nothing here I can see."

"Maybe I got the wrong room number. I'm sorry, Mrs. Corinthos," Rebecca said, backing up to the door.

"No harm, no foul," replied Claudia.

Rebecca left the room.

Nurse Johnson held up a blood pressure cuff. Claudia nodded. Playtime was over.

******************************************************

Rebecca hurried down the hall and flipped open her cell phone. She pressed a number and waited. "Hello -- Liz? It's Rebecca. I just made a complete mess of things."

******************************************************

Claudia's hospital room. An hour later.

Claudia was asleep when Sonny got back. Epiphany Johnson had stopped him on his way in, letting him know that Claudia was cleared to go home tomorrow afternoon. Sonny watched Claudia sleep. If she was this calm when she was awake, his baby would have a fighting chance.

When he sat down in the chair next to her bed, the chair creaked and Claudia's eyes shot open.

"Hi," said Sonny. "I brought you dessert." He held out a tin swan.

Claudia cautiously sat up, keeping her hand near her pillow. She didn't take the swan.

"Don't be so suspicious of me," said Sonny. "I'm the only ally you got right now."

Claudia rolled her eyes and got to the point: "You want to kill me."

"Hey, I'm the only one who wants you alive right now. Except for your brother. And where is your brother?"

Claudia's eyes narrowed. "What have you done with him?"

Sonny shook his head, "Relax. He's out on assignment. I let him know what happened and he's on his way home. My point is: how come I had to call him? Shouldn't he be checking in on you in your condition?"

"My brother and I understand each other. Don't try and get between that."

"Or what?"

Claudia was silent.

"This is what I'm saying, Claudia," Sonny continued. "I'm the best you got. You try to leave me, you got nowhere to go. And who's gonna protect you? Start thinking with your head and not with your fear. I said I'd take care of you if this baby was mine, and that's what I'm going to do. So relax."

Claudia sank back down on the bed. Relax. Like that was going to happen.

******************************************************

Nikolas had worked his way through the first and last pages of twelve books with Spencer. They'd start one and then Spencer would want to just get to the end. While he knew he probably shouldn't have indulged Spencer, he'd had other stuff to get to once his son was asleep, so his main priority had been to do whatever it took to wear Spencer out.

And then Nikolas spent the entire evening checking every portrait at Wyndemere. Alexis had said that she thought Helena and Rebecca were connected. And the last thing Helena had wanted from him was a painting.

This was pointless. He didn't know what he was looking for. He'd set up a meeting with Alexis tomorrow. Maybe she'd have some idea.

His thoughts were interrupted by Alfred. Alfred extended a phone to Nikolas. "Miss Elizabeth."

"Thank you." Nikolas took the phone. "Liz? ... I don't know. Yesterday? ... Yes ... Why? ... Did she say what they had talked about? ... What did you say? ... That's fine. ... Thank you for letting me know. ... You too."

Nikolas hung up.

******************************************************

Claudia's hospital room. The following afternoon.

Max had been sent to get the car. Sonny finished packing Claudia's bag. Claudia hovered by the bed, wondering how she was going to retrieve the gun without Sonny noticing. And the door opened. And there was Nikolas.

"Great," said Sonny. "Great."

Nikolas breezed past Sonny and went directly to Claudia. "I'm so sorry to do this, but I need some answers."

Claudia opened her mouth to speak, but Sonny caught her off. "Sure," he dragged out the word. "Let's have the questions."

Nikolas kept looking into Claudia's eyes. "Вы имели посетитель вчера." _You had a visitor yesterday._

"Да." Claudia answered. _Yes._

"No. Uh-uh. No more Russian in this room," Sonny commanded.

"Fine." Claudia turned to Nikolas, asking, "Είσαι σε άπταιστα ελληνικά;" _Are you fluent in Greek?_

Nikolas burst out laughing. It was crazy, he knew she was dangerous, he knew she'd probably done dozens of things that would turn his stomach -- but he liked Claudia. She made him laugh. No one else made him laugh anymore.

"Oh, so this is funny to you, Cassadine?"

Nikolas regained his composure. He noticed Claudia hadn't cracked a smile. "At least someone in this room is happy," he said pointedly to Sonny.

"If Claudia's not happy, she knows where she can go," said Sonny.

Claudia grimaced, remembering last night's conversation. Nowhere. She had nowhere to go. Nikolas watched Claudia perform mental gymnastics until he'd had enough. He turned back to Sonny.

"I'm not sure she does."

Claudia and Sonny both stared at him. Sonny asked the question. "What do you mean?"

Nikolas turned to Claudia. "Claudia? Any time you want, you're more than welcome on" -- what was her name for it? -- "Spoondymere."

Claudia smiled, and then gently shook her head. "There's a boatload of reasons why that wouldn't work."

Nikolas wasn't letting either of them off the hook. "Name one."

Sonny really, really, really didn't like the way these two were with each other. "She gave you your answer, Nikolas."

Claudia continued as if Sonny hadn't spoken. "Okay. Spencer."

"Spencer is Sonny's nephew. It hasn't gotten him hurt yet. In fact, it hasn't even gotten him a visit from Sonny. So if you're looking to lose Sonny, the quickest way to do that is to sit yourself by Spencer."

Sonny's hand shot out and shoved Nikolas backward.

Claudia cleared her throat. "Sonny."

Nikolas quickly regained his balance. His fist landed squarely in Sonny's solar plexus, winding him. Sonny rose up and went for Nikolas again.

Claudia spoke firmly and calmly. "Sonny."

As Sonny reached Nikolas, Claudia raised her voice. "Sonny."

Sonny glanced over at Claudia, who was now wielding her gun.

Claudia spoke again. "Step away from Nikolas."

Sonny slowly stepped away from Nikolas, never taking his eyes from the gun. Claudia lowered the gun.

"Where'd you get the gun?," Sonny asked softly.

Claudia was silent.

"Perfect," Sonny said. He looked into Claudia's eyes. "You want to go with him?"

Claudia was silent for a moment.

"Yes."

Sonny looked from Claudia to Nikolas to Claudia again. "Fine. You can go with him. But I think you should know what you're getting yourself into. This is just Nikolas returning a favor."

Claudia shook her head. "I'm the one who owes Nikolas."

"No, I mean this is payback for me getting Emily." He looked at Nikolas. "Right, Nikolas?"

Claudia didn't check for Nikolas' reaction. She was quiet for a moment. And then she said, "So what?"

Sonny turned and stared at Claudia. "I'll be back for that baby," he said. Then he left. Nikolas and Claudia exchanged sideways glances.

Nikolas picked up Claudia's bag. "Are you ready to go?"

Claudia stood stock still. She felt a little like Alice right before she disappeared down the rabbit hole. But this time the hole was supplied with scones, even if it was designed a little like Dracula's house. She looked at Nikolas. She hoped _he_ knew what he was getting into. She nodded. She was ready to go.


	5. Chapter 5

Wyndemere.

Claudia entered the living room, looking a little worse for the wear. Nikolas followed behind her, apologizing profusely.

"I don't know what I was thinking."

Claudia coughed a little. "Don't worry about it."

"In my own defense, there's no other way to get to the Island from the Mainland."

Claudia interrupted him. "For what it's worth, I didn't know I'd get sick either. Pregnancy is like the gift that keeps on giving. A new, unexpected gift every day." Her hand went to her abdomen. "At least the last gift makes up for all the rest."

Nikolas thought there was a gap in Claudia's logic. He raised an eyebrow. Claudia shrugged her shoulders in defeat.

"I love the baby. Crazy, huh? Big, bad Claudia keeps herself from falling in love all these years only to get sucked in by her own kid. I had this whole thing planned out -- I was so pragmatic. I was just postponing a death sentence. And then -- boom! I get these feelings." Claudia reached for her purse. "I actually have pictures. Ultrasound pictures, but that's all that's available at the moment, you know?" She opened her purse and then caught herself before she went further. "Sorry. We haven't lived together for one minute and I'm already annoying. Hey, didn't you want to ask me about something?"

Nikolas was so surprised that it was actually his turn to speak that it took him a second to answer. "When?"

"In the hospital room." Nikolas shook his head in confusion. Claudia tried again: "With the Russian?"

Right. That. "What happened with Rebecca last night?"

Claudia put down her purse. "She asked me what was going on with you and me. I told her to ask you."

Nikolas couldn't help it. He grinned.

"Right move?," she asked.

"Perfect move," he said.

Claudia gave a sigh of relief. Her new home life was going much better than the old one already. She looked around the room. "Hey, Batman, where'd your henchman take my bag? It's not much, but it's all I have right now."

"Alfred!," Nikolas called out.

Alfred popped in the room as if he'd been lurking around the corner. "Yes?" He nodded at Claudia. "Welcome, Miss Zacchara."

"Thanks." Claudia oddly felt like a curtsey was in order and was grateful she wasn't that kind of girl.

"Alfred, please show Miss Zacchara to the guest house. She'll be staying with us now."

Nikolas watched Claudia's face freeze momentarily, and then she appeared to re-group. She nodded at Nikolas, "I guess I'll see you later." She gathered her purse and began to leave the room, with Alfred following close behind.

"Claudia." Nikolas called her back.

She turned back to him again. "What?"

"The sooner you get started on your divorce, the better for your baby."

"I'm not getting a divorce," Claudia scoffed.

"You're not -- you're_ not _getting a divorce?" She _was_ one of those crazy Zaccharas. Just better-looking than the others.

"Sonny's got my family's business. You think I'd give that up?" Claudia shook her head at Nikolas' naivete. Then she went out of the room.

"Alfred!" Alfred stopped in his tracks and turned to Nikolas.

"Yes, Master Nikolas."

"Keep calling her Mrs. Corinthos. The whole time she's here. No matter what she tells you." That should do it, thought Nikolas.

"Yes, sir," said Alfred. And then he went to find Mrs. Corinthos to show her to the guest house.

**************************************************

GreyStone. Afternoon.

Sonny paced the floor. "I think I made a mistake, man."

"No, Sonny. You didn't."

"Nikolas Cassadine could have her out of the country like that." Sonny snapped his fingers.

"She's not going to travel with a high risk pregnancy," Jason said calmly.

"Now she's got all this time to plan something, and I'm not around to catch on."

"Look," said Jason rationally. "She pointed a gun at you. She feels that her life is being threatened. If she'd stayed under this roof, how long until she felt the need to get rid of the threat before you got rid of her?"

"Do you know anything about this thing with Nikolas?"

"No. Do you want Spinelli to look into it?"

"Yeah, man -- do whatever you can."

Jason didn't say anything else, but he knew that both Nikolas and Claudia had had a connection to Ian Devlin. The less everyone knew about Nikolas' connection with Devlin, the better. In the meantime, Jason would find out what he could through other channels.

Michael came in unannounced. "Dad, where's Claudia?"

Jason and Sonny exchanged a look.

**************************************************

Wyndemere. Nikolas' study. Late afternoon.

Nikolas pored over the latest report on his grandmother's whereabouts.

"Knock, knock." Nikolas looked up at the sound of Alexis' voice. He smiled at her.

"Come in. Make yourself comfortable," he said.

"Am I going to like this?"

"It involved me eating crow, so you'll thoroughly enjoy it."

"Oh, goody." Alexis threw herself into a chair.

"Something's wrong with Rebecca."

"Physically?" Nikolas didn't look depressed, so she tried again. "Mentally? Spiritually? Economically? GIve me something to go on."

Nikolas decided to let Alexis enjoy this as much as she could. He bowed his head in supplication. "She's conning me."

When he lifted his head, Alexis didn't look happy at all. "I really wanted to be wrong," she said.

"I know," he said. He tapped a pen against his desk. Full steam ahead. "You think it's Helena?"

"I don't know. But the sight of them together was suspicious." Alexis leaned in toward Nikolas. "What do you need from me?"

Nikolas passed a folder to her. "Grandmother asked me for a painting while she was in town."

Alexis opened the folder and studied the photograph lying on top. "This painting?"

"Yes," Nikolas answered. "Recognize it?"

"No."

"The back-up information makes up the rest of the file."

"I'll see what I can do."

There was a knock at the door. "Yes?," Nikolas called out.

Claudia peeked her head in. "I'm looking for food."

Alexis jumped at the sound of Claudia's voice. She swiveled in her seat, and said, with some disgust, "You."

Claudia's look of disgust matched -- if not exceeded -- Alexis'.

"Что она делает здесь? ," Claudia asked Nikolas. _What's she doing here?_

"Что ты здесь делаешь?," Alexis volleyed back. _What are _you_ doing here?_

"Good. You've met," said Nikolas. "So I don't have to explain that this is my aunt, Alexis Davis. Also known as Alexis Davidovitch. Also known as Princess Natasha Alexandra Cassadine." He stage whispered to Claudia, "She speaks Russian." He now turned to Alexis. "Claudia is staying with me."

"How could you let this animal into your house?," Alexis demanded of Nikolas.

"Claudia," said Nikolas, in a way that let it be known that he was not to be trifled with on the subject, "is my guest. Please treat her with respect."

"Oh," came Alexis' swift rejoinder, "because she's been so respectful of me when I've been her guest?"

"Well, maybe if you knew how to raise your daughter, I wouldn't have to interfere," Claudia interjected.

Nikolas quickly ushered Claudia out of the room, saying over his shoulder to Alexis, "I'll be back soon. Take a look at that file."

Out in the hall, once the door was shut, he turned on Claudia. "What are you doing?"

"Me? The second I came in, she started in on me."

"And you had no idea Alexis was there." Nikolas gave Claudia a knowing look.

"I was looking for food."

"Right."

"Nikolas." Claudia's tone suggested that her voice was about to be raised a few octaves if he didn't capitulate. "I'm pregnant. With child. Knocked up. I'm hungry. It happens a lot. I need food." And then instead of going into the stratosphere, her voice now lowered and was coming through gritted teeth. "I don't know how to order in to the Island."

"Well, ask Alfred. I'm with a guest."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I should have thought of that. Except I CAN'T FIND HIM."

"Hey!," rebuked Nikolas. "Lower your voice."

Claudia stared at Nikolas. That was the first time he'd ever ordered her to do anything. So much for the one person who...

"Alexis is my aunt. You will treat her with respect. If you can't, you will leave any room she enters."

"Why don't I just stay in the _guest house_?," Claudia muttered.

"Claudia! You are a guest! That doesn't just mean that you are to be treated with respect -- it also means that you are to respect the rules of this house!"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Nikolas regretted them. Maybe not the words, but the way he had said them. He'd never spoken to Claudia that way before. Then again, he'd never seen Claudia the way she was with Alexis. So maybe an apology wasn't in order. But he was about to give one anyway, when Spencer came toddling up the hall with Alfred in pursuit. Spencer looked from one adult to the other.

"Will you join us for dinner?," Nikolas asked Claudia by way of apology.

"No," said Claudia.

Spencer clapped his hands together with glee. "No!"

"Thank you," Claudia continued to Nikolas, a little belatedly. "I can manage." She turned to Alfred. "Alfred, could you take me to the kitchen? I need some staples for the guest house."

Nikolas noticed that her voice shook a little, even though her face was impassive.

"Right this way, Mrs. Corinthos," Alfred said.

At the sound of her married name, Claudia looked like someone had slapped her. And while Nikolas watched her, he couldn't be sure, but he thought Alfred might have shot him a look of disapproval.

Alfred led the way to the kitchen. Claudia followed. Spencer looked like he was going to follow Claudia, so Nikolas picked him up. "Let's go visit Aunt Alexis."

He looked down the hall at Claudia, and then went into the study.

******************************************************

Wyndemere. Living room. Evening.

Nikolas had meant to go see Claudia after dinner, but he'd been waylaid by yet another visitor. Rebecca.

He sent Spencer to the nanny. And now he and Rebecca were alone. And so it begins, he thought. If he was ever going to be The Cassadine, this was the moment.

"Please," he said to Rebecca. "Have a seat."

Rebecca sat down. She noticed that Nikolas did not take the seat nearest her, but remained standing.

"I guess you heard about the hospital," she began.

Nikolas pretended to search his memory for a moment, then flashed a look of recognition. "Claudia," he said.

"Yeah. I wanted to ask you --"

"It's all right," he said. "Claudia told me." That should plant a seed, he thought.

"What did she tell you?," asked Rebecca, flashing back to Claudia's little speech about what a Master Liar she was.

"That you were asking about her. And me. And she told you to ask me. What did you want to ask me?"

"Oh. Uh."

Now Nikolas took a seat. "I'll make this easy for you. Claudia and I are helping each other out in some matters. And while we are, she is staying here." He made a note of the little flare of suspicion that crept into Rebecca's eyes. "Well, not _here_ exactly. In the guest house. It's a recent development."

Rebecca decided to go ahead and be blunt. "So you're not sleeping with her."

"With Claudia?" He tried to keep his tone neutral as if he were considering the question.

"Yeah. Because Nikolas -- I thought we -- I mean --"

"Rebecca." A note of haughtiness crept into Nikolas' voice. "What kind of person do you think I am? The kind of person who would be intimate with someone while betraying them?" He silently cursed himself for almost tipping his hand too soon.

"I'm sorry," Rebecca started.

"No," said Nikolas, salvaging the moment. "I am the one who's sorry. I've been neglectful. I have some business to attend to, but may I call you tomorrow? I'd like to make this up to you."

Nikolas hoped he was pulling off the sincere act.

"I'd like that too," Rebecca said.

And he guessed he'd pulled it off.

******************************************************

Spoon Island. The Guest House. Night.

Nikolas knocked on the door of the guest house. No answer. He wondered if she was ignoring his knock on purpose or (even worse) if she had left the Island. The men at the launch had standing instructions to inform him about comings and goings, but you never knew. Alfred had said that once his men had delivered food to the guest house, Claudia had declined all other help. What if she had overdone something and wasn't feeling well? Nikolas made his way around the side of the house and peered in the window.

Claudia was fast asleep on the couch.

He came back around to the front door and let himself in. The guest house looked a little ragged. He couldn't remember the last time it had been used. As he entered the living room, he was surprised to see evidence that Claudia had been dusting.

He knelt next to her. "Claudia," he said quietly.

"Mmmm?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Did you eat?"

"Yeah."

She was still mostly asleep, but considering the fact that she'd been so ravenous earlier, he doubted she'd be this relaxed without some food inside her.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hmmmm?"

"Put your arms around my neck."

And she did. He lifted her from the couch and brought her upstairs into the master bedroom. He put her down on the bed, and removed her shoes. (How could she walk in those things? They were a mile high -- and wasn't pregnancy supposed to change your center of gravity?) He began to turn down the bed as best he could with her still in it.

Claudia slowly woke up.

She rolled over and eyed Nikolas. "Don't you have people for this?"

"Aren't you asleep?"

"Right." Claudia crawled under the covers and closed her eyes.

Nikolas looked around the room. It was dusty. And every drawer, every bit of closet space was empty. It was a safe bet that the bathroom didn't have soap or shampoo. He'd have them sent over with a selection of towels in the morning. Along with an invitation to breakfast.

He knelt by the bed.

"Claudia." No answer. "Claudia?"

"What?"

"I'm sorry I yelled at you."

Claudia opened one eye and peered at Nikolas. Then she opened both her eyes. "'S'okay. You're a Prince. You're allowed to get haughty and demanding."

"I am."

"That's supposed to have a question mark at the end of it," she corrected. She smiled. And then she went back to sleep.

Nikolas drew the bedroom window curtains shut and quietly made his way downstairs. He guessed he'd better check the state of the kitchen. When he went inside and turned on the lights, he was dumbfounded. No wonder Claudia was so tired. The place sparkled. Every countertop was polished. Every dish, pot, pan, and utensil had been washed and was drying. He made a mental note to have a dishwasher installed tomorrow.

He opened the refrigerator. There were a few staples in there. But mostly there was what Claudia had made of the staples. There were at least 3 day's worth of meals in there, neatly packaged, and each was carefully marked with the day's date. He closed the refrigerator door and looked around the room again. The rest of the house suddenly embarrassed Nikolas. He'd thought the guest house would be peaceful, finally a place that Claudia could make her own. The reality of it was that it was more like she'd been banished. And with the thought of _that_ word, Nikolas's heart sank. Her whole life, Claudia had been treated as thought she was part of an endurance test for everyone around her. And when she wasn't being treated that way, she was being exiled. Banished. He was a fool. And he was going to make it up to her in the morning.


	6. Chapter 6

Spoon Island. The Guest House.

Claudia finished dressing for the day. She'd found a set of clothes hanging in her closet, all washed and ironed. She vaguely remembered Nikolas carrying her up the stairs the night before, but she doubted he was directly responsible for the clothes. He'd probably sent out a minion. Or had elves in the basement of Wyndemere. Who cared? They fit her perfectly, and they were in her style. Both of those qualities, however, made her doubt they had belonged to Emily.

In the morning, Alfred had stopped by with towels and toiletries. The towels, like everything else on Spoon Island, were too much. The choice of towels, that is. Apparently, Nikolas thought she'd be ready to pick a color scheme before showering.

Nikolas' breakfast invitation was sweet, but a little inconvenient. It was going to take her a long time to get the guest house in order, and she wanted to get started on it right away. This was the first place that had ever been her own. And she wasn't sure how long her stay here was going to last -- whether it be cut short by death or the fact that she'd already gotten on her host's nerves. But she was surprised to find out that she liked the quiet. She liked deciding where something should go in the kitchen, and not having someone move it, belittle it, change it, or get rid of it.

She was also afraid to see Nikolas this morning. He was too much of a gentleman to change his mind about her staying there, but yesterday afternoon had frightened her. She always knew that things were easy between her and Nikolas. And she liked who she was around him. Yesterday all of that had disappeared. Claudia was not prepared for how empty she felt without even the possibility of whatever this easy thing was between her and Nikolas. She knew he had a lot of friends and family who were always happy to see him. So she doubted he would miss what she missed. She did her best to shake this feeling. It was Nikolas, after all. Even if he was sick of her, he'd treat her well. And she could handle the rest.

************************************

Wyndemere. Living room.

In the end, it was Spencer who'd made it easy for everyone at breakfast. He was one of the funniest kids she'd ever known -- aside from Johnny, he was probably the only kid she'd ever known, but regardless -- he cracked her up. She suspected that she had ticked the nanny off by instigating a spoon swordfight with the kid, but Nikolas didn't seem to mind. The nanny did, however, make a quick exit with Spencer after breakfast. Claudia had been all ready to go back to the guest house when Nikolas invited her to tea and the morning paper in the living room.

A samovar was sitting on a breakfast bar. The Sunday Times was sitting untouched on an end-table.

Nikolas began to pour the tea. "It's herbal," he reassured her.

"Thanks," she said.

Was it rude to grab the magazine section before he could get to it? She was getting anxious about what this little tea party meant, and a good crossword puzzle would take the edge off. Claudia snatched the magazine section and took out a pen. 1 Down.

Nikolas set her tea beside her on an end table and went to prepare his own cup. 8 Across.

He wondered if she was avoiding him.

"I thought we could talk," he said.

"Sure," she said. He noticed she didn't stop doing the crossword puzzle.

"Rebecca came to see me last night."

"How'd it go?" She kept filling in little boxes.

"I need to tell you what I did."

"Go ahead."

He took the crossword puzzle from her hands.

"Sorry," she said. "It's a compulsion."

"Crossword puzzles?"

"Forget it. What did you need to tell me?"

Nikolas picked up the unfinished puzzle and looked at it quizzically. "I don't get it," he said.

"Once you've done enough of them, they get easier," she said.

"I don't get the whole phenomenon of doing crossword puzzles," he clarified. But he didn't say as if he was putting her down. He said it as if he were genuinely interested.

"They exercise your mind. Keep you sharp. It keeps someone like me distracted from other worse things I could be doing or saying."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You'd better get used to these, too, if I'm going to be staying here. Because there are only a few things that keep me occupied and away from plotting and trouble. And the last time I stayed here, you made it pretty clear that you weren't interested in option #1. The doctors ruled out all other exercise, which was option #2. And I can only cook so much before I have the next three months' meals prepared."

Nikolas moved from his chair to a place on the couch beside her. "I want you to stay, Claudia."

"Good." He wasn't sure she believed him.

"And I need your help."

"Oh."

"That's not why I invited you here." She studied him for a long moment. He looked like the same old Nikolas.

"Okay," she said.

"Once I explain," he continued. "I'll understand if you say no. But I'll need you to keep quiet about what I'm up to."

Claudia cocked her head to one side. "Okay."

Nikolas wondered if his convoluted scheme would be too strange for Claudia. And then he remembered who he was talking to. "My grandmother, Helena, is to me as your father is to you," he began.

"Maybe we should lock them in your dungeon together and see if they kill each other."

Nikolas looked like he was seriously weighing the possibility.

"You have a dungeon?"

Nikolas would only smile cryptically. Then he continued. "Barring the dungeon option, I have something else in mind."

Claudia waved her hand as if to say he had the floor.

"Rebecca is conning me," he began.

"I'd say technically you're wrong about that," she interrupted.

"Why? What do you know?"

"Well, I know that if you're on to her, she's not conning you anymore." Claudia smiled, picked up her teacup and sipped.

"Really? Are you certain of that?" Nikolas smiled back sarcastically.

He really needed to wipe those canary feathers from his mouth. "I'm listening," she said.

"Alexis believes that Rebecca is working with my grandmother."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Wow." Claudia put her teacup down.

"I know." No point in beating around the bush. "I need to lay a trap for Helena, and I need for you to be the bait."

"Oh." Claudia wasn't sure where he was going with this. Didn't bait get eaten by the quarry?

Nikolas leaned in closer to Claudia. "I would never put you or your baby in any danger."

"So what are you saying? I'd be more like a plastic fishing fly and less like a live, wriggling worm?"

"I prefer not to think of you either of those ways, thank you very much."

"No," corrected Claudia. "Thank _you_ very much." Nikolas looked a little uncomfortable at even a hint of flirtation, so she shifted gears. "What do you need?"

"If Rebecca is working with my grandmother, whatever Helena is up to hinges upon me falling for Rebecca." He checked in with Claudia. She was following this like it was second nature. "I told Rebecca that you and I were helping each other in some matters. I told her you were staying here. When she asked if we were sleeping together, I took umbrage."

"Thanks."

"Stop that. I phrased it in such a way that given time, Rebecca will realize that I never answered her question."

"You dog." Claudia had no idea that Nikolas was capable of psychological manipulation. Interesting new development. Attractive.

"I told her I'd call her today. I'm going to forget to call. And should she show up at the Island, she will find me with you. Because the men who control the Port Charles end of the launch have been given strict instructions to warn me when she's coming."

Claudia chuckled.

"What?"

"Nothing," she answered. But she appeared to be looking at him through new eyes. "How many people know about this?"

"About my suspicions about Rebecca and Helena? Two. Elizabeth Webber and Alexis. About what we're up to? No one."

"That's good. The less people who know what's going on..."

"The more people will speculate, and the more Rebecca will overhear."

"And," Claudia interjected, "She'll be overhearing what you want to her to overhear." Nikolas nodded. "What else?"

"I need for Rebecca to believe that I never discovered her con. And I need for Helena to believe that whatever is happening between you and me is interfering with what could be happening with Rebecca and me. I need for Helena to tip her hand. I need her to become so desperate that she will need to come and check things out for herself."

Claudia shook her head. There was a flaw in this plan. "Why?," she asked.

"Why what?"

"Why would she check it out for herself? Couldn't she hire someone to do that?"

"Yes," Nikolas answered matter-of-factly. "And she will. And when they turn up nothing, she'll become so infuriated by their incompetence that she'll show up asking questions."

"So she's one of those Do-It-Yourself types?"

"If she's been thwarted enough, yes. She's also got an ego the size of the Taj Mahal."

"That's useful," Claudia noted.

"It is if you're not growing up under her thumb," Nikolas pointed out.

Claudia got that. "Okay. Sure." Claudia saw that Nikolas thought she was merely agreeing with him, and quickly made herself clear. "I'm in."

She put her hand out. After a moment, Nikolas realized she was waiting for him to bind the deal with a handshake. He shook her hand. Claudia gave a quick nod, signaling the end of the conversation and struggled to get to her feet. This change in her center of gravity was disconcerting. Nikolas grabbed her elbow and helped her up. When she was steady, he let go.

"Claudia." She looked at him. "You don't have to stay in the guest house. We can move you in here if you'd like."

Claudia considered her options. "You know what? I think I'm going to stay at the guest house. It's nice having my own space." Nikolas looked a little taken aback. "Besides, I think it will make your plan even better if I'm out there. People will wonder if it's the Kept Mistress Shack."

Nikolas shook his head in disapproval.

"Ah-ah," Claudia said. "You're going to have to work on your poker face."

Nikolas got serious. "Thank you, Claudia."

She smiled. "Any time." She picked up the crossword puzzle and started for the door. Nikolas sat back down on the couch and picked up his tea.

Claudia turned and looked at him from the doorway. She tapped the puzzle against the palm of her hand. She walked over to the couch.

"When I was sent away to Italy..." Claudia didn't know why she was suddenly compelled to tell him this. "I was cut off from everyone and everything that had been in my life up 'til then. No one I knew spoke English fluently. So crossword puzzles were my way of keeping English with me."

Nikolas was quiet for a moment, then got up and began searching the bookcases. Claudia felt exposed. What was he doing? She tells him something she's never told anyone else before and he looks for reading material? Should she go?

Nikolas pulled an old Atlas from a shelf and returned to Claudia. "When I was growing up, the only things I knew about my mother were that she was beautiful, and that she was from a place in America called Port Charles." He opened the Atlas and turned it toward Claudia. "This was the only information I had about Port Charles. All I knew was that it was a shipping port. So I learned to sail." He closed the Atlas. He laughed. "It turns out Laura didn't even grow up here."

Claudia reached out and touched his arm. They looked at each other for a long moment. Then she thought to herself, Do not destroy this, Claudia. She withdrew her hand.

"I should get going," she said.

"Claudia, wait." He went to the desk, put down the Atlas and pulled a file out from a large stack. "Here." He held it out to her.

She came over and cautiously took it. "What's this?"

"It's a company that specializes in technology development."

"Helena owns it?"

Nikolas laughed. "Helena has nothing to do with it. It's one of my interests. I've been unable to raise sufficient capital in the current economy. Why don't you take a look at it and see what you can do?"

Technology development? She was good, but she was no Spinelli.

"I want to see what you can do with a legitimate company."

"You want to keep me distracted."

"When you're not cooking or doing crossword puzzles. Open it up."

Claudia opened the file.

"There are five countries involved," said Nikolas.

Claudia laughed delightedly. "Oh, and surprise, surprise -- I just happen to speak every one of the languages involved."

"No pharmaceuticals, so you won't be tempted to black market anything," Nikolas pointed out.

"Don't kid yourself, Nikolas," she said. "I'll always be tempted. But I won't wreck one of your companies with it. We done?"

"Yes," he said. "You can use the study if you'd like. I'm headed into town for a little while."

Nikolas made his way to the door. Then he stopped and looked at Claudia. "Helena --" Nikolas stopped himself.

Claudia looked up at Nikolas. "What?"

"For the past few years, the only thing Helena has wanted is Spencer."

"Well, then," said Claudia. "All the more reason to annihilate her."

Nikolas silently agreed. But the whole subject of Helena brought up another unsavory thought. Technology development. He called to Claudia over his shoulder, "Try not to freeze the world while I'm gone."

Claudia shook her head. Nikolas was nice, but he was a very strange guy.

************************************

When Claudia arrived back at the guest house later that morning, she found the whole place had been cleaned and put in order.

At one o'clock, a dishwasher was installed in the kitchen.

At two o'clock, four large, burly men she recognized as part of the Russian syndicate arrived with all of her belongings that had been left behind at Sonny's house. She was sure that it didn't take four men of that size to carry two suitcases. She was also sure that it _did_ take four men of that size to get them out of GreyStone.

At four o'clock, she was so engrossed in the technology lab file that she declined an invitation to dine at Wyndemere.

And at five 'clock, Johnny showed up ready to kill Nikolas.


	7. Chapter 7

Spoon Island. The Guest House.

Claudia sat on her living room couch, her head in her hands. She was not going to get worked up about this. John continued to rant and rave.

"For all you know, he's just using you to make his girlfriend jealous!"

Claudia turned her face away from her brother, so he couldn't see her smile. Granted, John was way too over-protective about her -- sometimes to the point of irrationality -- but Nikolas' plan was starting to seem more and more sound. _If only the grandmother could see THIS,_ she thought.

She was drawn away from that thought when she realized the room had gone silent. Oops. She turned her head toward John, running a hand through her hair.

"Have a seat," she said.

"That's all you have to say?," he shouted.

"You wanted me out of Sonny's house. I'm out of Sonny's house."

"Where is he now?" From the uninterrupted volume, there was no question of who the "he" was; John was not going to be deterred from a Nikolas Rant. "Is he at the house?"

"Forget it," she shrugged. "I'm not telling you."

"And now you're protecting him?"

"I don't have time for this, John. I have things to tell you, and they're important. And on top of everything else, I'm in a high risk pregnancy, so I can't get into a screaming match with you. It's not good for the baby."

John tried, he really did, but he ended up letting out an unintelligible roar and looking around the room for something to throw. He went towards a lamp.

"Don't you dare, John. I can't be picking up all the pieces tonight."

He stepped toward the coffee table, but right before his hand swept over it, she snatched the technology lab file off of it. His eyes pleaded with her. She handed him a pillow.

"This?!"

"What do you want?," she shouted. "It's all I can deal with tonight! Come back tomorrow morning when I'm rested, and I'll let you break something!"

He buried his head in the pillow, howled into it, and then flopped down beside her on the couch. He punched the pillow a few times and then tucked it behind him. She brushed her hand through his hair.

Then she leaned back against the couch, propped her feet up on the coffee table, and rested her hand on her belly.

"Sonny found out about Michael. He has proof."

John went pale. "I knew we should've gotten you out of the country."

"And I knew we should have killed Jason Morgan," she countered.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"John, why do you think you were sent out of town without him? Jason's the one who gathered the proof to give to Sonny. And he sent you away so you wouldn't be here when it happened."

"No, no, no," John burst out as he rose and went to the door.

"Where are you going?," Claudia asked.

"Jason came over on the launch with me. And if Nikolas is in the house, Jason is with him now."

John reached for the doorknob.

"Wait," Claudia said. John stilled. "Let Nikolas handle this," she said calmly.

*************************************************

Wyndemere. Living room.

"I'm asking you to let us handle her," Jason said.

"Handle her?" Nikolas looked more collected than he felt.

"Claudia has done some things -- things I'm not sure you know about." Jason checked Nikolas' expression, but all he got was the Impassive Prince.

"Claudia is pregnant," Nikolas said, as if that were the only factor that mattered.

"And Sonny has said that because it's his child, nothing will happen to her."

Nikolas decided to let Jason keep talking. The longer Jason was here, the longer he was away from Claudia. And the more Nikolas could find out about what kind of protection he was going to need to put on Claudia.

Jason went on. "Claudia is dangerous. She's treacherous. You don't know these people."

Still nothing from Nikolas.

"In the past few weeks -- since she's known that I've been looking into what she's done -- I've been shot at. By several people at once. The only reason I survived is because her little brother saved my life. Claudia wanted me dead."

Now Nikolas couldn't help himself. "And why would she want that?"

"Because she didn't want me finding out anything."

"Why?," Nikolas persisted. "If she had done whatever it is that you're being so mysterious about -- and you found out that she had -- what would happen?"

"Then she'd have to deal with the consequences."

"Which are?" _Jason must really take me for a fool,_ Nikolas thought.

"Look, this life is what it is. There are consequences."

"Mightn't whatever Claudia might have done been a consequence?"

"Then it ends here."

"No, it doesn't." Nikolas silently added the words "_you Neanderthal"_ to his sentence. "Emily was a consequence. A consequence of you leaving two children without their father." Jason looked a little taken aback. Did the man honestly believe that Nikolas didn't get together with his cousin to put all the missing pieces together?

The two men stared at each other.

"You believe in consequences?," Nikolas asked rhetorically. "Then march yourself down to police headquarters and turn yourself in for your crimes." Jason did not say anything. So Nikolas continued. "Until you do, until you stop being a hypocrite and hiding behind your brain damage, don't come back to this Island."

Jason stared at Nikolas. "This is not going to end well," he said. He started to leave.

"Oh, and if anything happens to Johnny Zacchara, you will truly find out what consequences are," Nikolas said to Jason's departing back. Jason froze. "Because I will take it upon myself to end this cycle, Jason. I may be nice, but that doesn't mean I'm not dangerous."

Jason went out of the room.

Nikolas picked up his phone. "Security? Please escort Jason Morgan directly to the launch. And see that he doesn't return."

He hung up the phone. And left to find Claudia.

******************************************************************

The Guest House. Kitchen.

When Nikolas arrived, Claudia and John were finishing up dinner. He nodded at Claudia.

"How'd it go?," she asked, massaging the back of her head.

"He won't be bothering you here," Nikolas said.

"What's in it for you?," asked Johnny.

"John," Claudia implored, wincing.

Nikolas turned to Claudia. "Claudia, I promise you this isn't a 'you are the little woman' thing, but I need to talk to your brother alone."

"If you need to talk to him alone, it is an 'I am the little woman' thing," came Claudia's rejoinder.

"Can I talk to _you_ alone for a moment?," he asked.

Claudia nodded. She went into the living room. Nikolas picked up a glass of water and followed her out.

"You have a headache?," he asked.

"A little one. Under the circumstances..."

"You look flushed," he said.

"I've been cooking."

"You've been stressed out. Did you have much to drink at dinner?"

Claudia's eyes narrowed. Nikolas had been reading her hospital file.

He cut her off before she could argue. "Let's sit down." He handed her the glass of water. "Indulge me."

Claudia sat down and downed half the glass. Nikolas sat down beside her on the couch.

"I'm not going to threaten your brother. I'm not going to antagonize him. I'm going to help him protect himself."

She opened her mouth to speak, and he cut her off again. "If I do it in front of you, you are going to go into big sister mode. Johnny does not need this sugar-coated. And he doesn't appear to take you seriously enough."

That stopped her cold.

Nikolas continued. "I'm not going to go into how disgusting I find your whole business. I get why you're in it, but I don't have to like it. I'm going to ask you some questions. Don't answer yes or no out loud. Just do it in your head. Did you order a hit on Jason Morgan?" He had her complete attention. "Did it fail? Did it fail because Johnny protected Jason? Your brother, although I admire and prefer his morality, is in a business where_ his_ morality will get_ you_ killed. I want to make sure he understands that. And I want him to know how smart I am. That's all. Do I have your permission?"

Boy, and she thought she would feel horrible if Nikolas found out about her machinations to split up Lulu and Johnny. "Yes," she answered.

"Thank you," he said. "Why don't you go upstairs while we finish up in the kitchen? I'll have the staff clean up afterwards."

Claudia slowly got to her feel and ascended the stairs.

Nikolas got up and went into the kitchen, silently reminding himself that if Johnny had Claudia's instincts, what he was about to say to Johnny would get him killed.

John had coffee ready at the counter. He offered some to Nikolas.

"I don't drink coffee. But thank you. Have a seat."

They both sat down at the kitchen table.

Nikolas tried to figure out where to start. "When your sister showed up bleeding on my dock last year, she was pretty out of it. She thought I was you."

"I remember."

"I remember it more vividly. Claudia doesn't remember it at all." Nikolas let Johnny absorb that, and then went on. "You're headstrong, Johnny. You lead with your emotion. But you're not smart about the business you're in. Tell me something: if _I_ know that Claudia would die to protect you, and _I_ know that Claudia keeps insisting that she was the only one involved in the botched hit on Sonny, and I've divined that you were involved -- how long before Sonny and Jason figure it out? Your sister doth protest too much. And if Claudia is now untouchable because of my protection, what's her greatest weakness? It's losing you."

Nikolas absentmindedly toyed with a teaspoon.

"You have to be careful, John. You have to make sure you don't fly off the handle, that no one knows that you were involved, and that no one knows where you are when you're not with someone you can trust. This is it. If you can't do that, either you die or Claudia and her baby will die."

"If you're so big on protecting her, why can't you get her out of the country?," Johnny asked.

"She can barely take the launch, John. She was dehydrated when I got here tonight. This is not the same, strong Claudia you're used to." He let the teaspoon fall with a clatter. "I know that you and your sister are very possessive and protective of each other. Watch that you don't drive her blood pressure up because it. That's her weak point physically right now."

Johnny looked furious. But he wasn't arguing.

Nikolas continued, in his measured way. "Why don't you go upstairs and say good-night to your sister? And then I'll walk you to the launch."

******************

When Nikolas returned to the guest house later, he found Claudia brooding in the living room. This time she ordered him to sit.

She sat on the coffee table, across from him. "Do you remember a conversation we had about the dark side?," she asked.

Nikolas would never forget it. He nodded.

"I don't...," her voice trailed off. "I don't want to take you down with me. If I make you into something you've fought against your whole life, I'll never forgive myself."

Nikolas looked into her eyes. "We'll be all right," he said.


	8. Chapter 8

Kelly's Diner. Morning breakfast rush.

Sonny took one last sip of coffee before signaling for the check. Mike pulled the waitress aside, and came over to Sonny's table himself.

"On the house," Mike said.

"You're never going to make any money this way, Mike," said Sonny.

"I'll take my chances." Mike sat down across from Sonny. Sonny could tell Mike was aiming for a heart-to-heart, but Sonny was in no mood for one. His business, since Claudia had left, was a mess. Rumors were spreading, and if he thought the Zacchara arm of his organization had been showing signs of unrest before, he'd been underestimating how much further there was to fall. Jason's visit to Spoon Island had made Claudia even more unreachable, if that was possible. His personal life hadn't been mixed up with his business life like this since Lily. And the fact that he didn't know what was going on with it made him unable to make a move. He looked weak.

Sonny stood up and turned away from Mike.

The door to the diner opened, and Rebecca entered. Their eyes met, and Sonny smiled at Rebecca. She smiled back, passing him on her way in. As she passed him, her smile faded. He made his way to the door, and she doubled back in time to stop him.

"Whoa. What's up?," Sonny asked.

"Why is your wife staying with Nikolas Cassadine?," she asked.

Sonny's face darkened. "I don't know," he answered. "But I will tell you this: all his life, that guy has had everything handed to him. He's finally been handed the keys to his destruction. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

And with that, Sonny left, brushing against Lucky on his way in.

Lucky stared after Sonny. "What's with him?"

Rebecca momentarily wondered if she should be saying anything, but then plunged right in. "His wife is staying with your brother."

"My brother? Please tell me you mean Ethan."

"No."

"You're kidding. Great. I finally get one sibling out of a Zacchara relationship and now this happens." Lucky checked his watch. "Sorry, I've got to run. I'm just grabbing something on the way to the station. Can I give you a ride somewhere?"

"No," said Rebecca. "I'm going to take a walk. Clear my head."

*******************************

Nikolas, Claudia and Spencer were finishing up breakfast when Alfred showed Elizabeth in.

"I didn't know you were expecting company," Claudia said.

"Good morning, Liz," said Nikolas. "Thanks for coming." He turned to Claudia. "Liz is here --"

"I'm here to see you," Elizabeth said to Claudia.

"Oh?," Claudia said, looking from Elizabeth to Nikolas.

"Yes," Nikolas answered. "Liz is going to give you a basic check-up. She's a nurse at --"

"I know who she is," said Claudia. "Wow. You just line these nurses up for illegal visits to your home, huh? Do you do this for all your guests or am I special?"

Liz quickly looked at Nikolas, but got nothing from him.

"Spencer and I will wait outside," said Nikolas, as he picked up Spencer and headed out of the room.

Claudia sized up Elizabeth, as Elizabeth silently wondered what Nikolas was thinking.

"So? What? Do you want me up on the dining room table?," Claudia asked sweetly.

"Not on our first date," answered Elizabeth, pulling out a blood pressure cuff.

_She looks all innocent, but she's got a mouth,_ Claudia marveled, as she offered up her arm.

************************

Jason's Penthouse.

Spinelli sat at the desk, furiously surfing. He looked very down-hearted.

Jason entered the penthouse, hoping that Spinelli's bad mood wasn't because he'd been unsuccessul at turning up a Cassadine/Zacchara connection.

"What'd you find out?," he asked.

"She is pursuing him on a course most endemic to those of a technological bent more oriented toward trendsetting than alienating." Spinelli recognized that Jason's blank look was not his usual one. He clarified, crying out, "She is following him on Twitter!"

"What? What is that? Some kind of drug? Some kind of Russian thing? What," Jason pressed.

"It is a social implement apparently most suited to those of a nature more casual than that of The Jackal," Spinelli moped.

"So what are you saying? Are they dating?," Jason asked.

"Heaven forfend!," said Spinelli. "My heart would surely break."

Jason deflated. This was not about Nikolas and Claudia at all. This was, of course, about Maxie.

"Spinelli," Jason said in a tired monotone, "What did you find out about Nikolas and Claudia?"

"Oh," said Spinelli, perking up. "Yes. Well, you were correct about their Doctor Most Foul connection. But neither appears connected to the other in that instance; Mrs. Sir and the Dynastic Heir had not yet made the acquaintance of one another when that occurred."

"But..."

"By perusing the video surveillance cameras of the docks, I was able to ascertain a finite period of approximately..." Spinelli checked his figures. "...three days when the Dynastic Heir held court to Mrs. Sir on Spoon Island."

"When?"

"Approximately one year ago. And of course there were various sightings of Mrs. Sir and the Dynastic Heir together during the period when the Blonde One and The Unworthy Mob Prince were consorting, but those encounters were most inadvertent and brief."

Jason walked over to the window and looked outside while Spinelli continued to ramble about Johnny. The Johnny and Lulu part of this, Jason thought, made sense. The three days were odd, but too brief to mean anything. And too long ago.

"There is, however, one anomaly for the three day period," continued Spinelli.

Jason jerked his attention back to Spinelli. "What."

"The first time Vixen -- Mrs. Sir makes a trip on the launch, it is _from_ The Heir's Lair. There is no record or sign of her arriving there in the first place."

Jason didn't know what to make of that, but he figured he'd start with Sam.

***********************

Wyndemere Library

Spencer ran in ahead of Claudia. The check-up had gone fine. Nikolas and Elizabeth wanted to discuss something -- probably Rebecca-related -- so Claudia volunteered to watch the kid while they talked.

Claudia had never been in the library before. The book she'd read while she was recovering during her first "visit" had been one left on her night table. She knew Nikolas must have an impressive collection, since that had been a first edition of "Great Expectations." But this was incredible. And there was not a single book that would entertain a 3 year-old.

Spencer began pulling books out of the lower shelves.

Claudia sat down on the floor. "Spencer." Spencer looked at her. "How about I tell you a story?" Spencer thought about it, and then went back to wreaking havoc.

"Okay," said Claudia. "Then I'll just tell myself a story." She pulled a few pillows down from the couch and made herself comfortable. She also slyly made a comfortable space for Spencer just in case he changed his mind.

"Twonce upon a wine," she began. "There was a gritty little pearl named Prinderella." The kid was still destroying the library. How come this had always worked on her?

"Prinderella had two sisty ugliers and a micked webstubber --" Aha. Here he comes. Claudia continued. "-- who made her flub the scoors, wean the clindows, pine the shots and shans, and do all the other wirty dirk." Spencer had slowly come over and sat on a pillow in front of her. He appeared to be trying to figure out what Claudia was doing. She went on, "Wasn't that a shirty dame?"

Spencer's mouth formed a perfect "O." Claudia mirrored his expression and then went on.

***********************

Wyndemere. The study.

"I promise," Elizabeth said.

Nikolas was satisfied. Elizabeth might not know it, but she held Claudia's life in her hands. Once Sonny or Jason found out about the progress of Claudia's pregnancy, they'd begin a countdown to her death.

"So what _is _she doing here?," Elizabeth asked. This was not the first time she'd asked this question.

"So you were saying we should have Lucky only look into Ethan," Nikolas said, as if she'd never asked. Nikolas had decided he wouldn't share _that _ aspect of this with Liz -- he didn't want to get into any debates about Jason's morality with her, and he certainly didn't want her meddling in this. It was too dangerous for everyone.

Elizabeth gave up, knowing today was a lost cause. "He's suspicious of him anyway. And if nothing's there, nothing's there. But I think this is one Spencer that Lucky won't cover for," Elizabeth explained.

"I don't want it to bring him too close to Helena."

"Neither do I," Elizabeth said quickly. "The last time he was too close to Helena, I lost him. But this time we both have our eyes wide open. And we're seeing a lot of each other, and confiding in each other again. So I'll be able to keep an eye out for him."

"But you're keeping him away from Rebecca -- investigating her, that is."

"He's gotten pretty protective her. Hot button for him. I don't want to get him involved in that," explained Elizabeth.

"All right," Nikolas agreed.

**********************************

Wyndemere. The Library.

Nikolas and Elizabeth arrived at the library to find Spencer hopping around the room, saying, "A shirty dame!" over and over.

Elizabeth laughed, and then grew wistful. "My mother used to tell that to me," she explained.

"So did mine," said Claudia.

Nikolas was struck by the fact that all four of the people in the room knew what it was like to be without a mother.

"Come on, Spencer," Elizabeth said. "Let me take you to your nanny."

Spencer ran over to Elizabeth. "Bye, Claudia," Elizabeth said. "Nikolas." She kissed Nikolas on the cheek and left the room with Spencer.

Nikolas pulled Claudia up from her pillows. "Thanks," she said.

"Elizabeth will be coming here once a week to check on you." He quickly added, "I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that if something's wrong, we're catching it before a trip on the launch would take too long to help."

"Nikolas, I don't think this is such a hot idea." Claudia was pretty sure he had no idea of what he was about to say. And she wasn't sure how he'd take it. Or take her knowing it. "Wouldn't she run straight to Jason with any information he needs? She _is_ the mother of his only child."

Nikolas seemed taken aback. About the fact that the kid was Jason's or the fact that Claudia knew it, she couldn't tell. Nikolas shook his head. "Liz can be trusted. She gave me her word, and now I'm giving you mine."

"Okay," said Claudia, reluctantly. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

"I'd better go," Claudia said, giving in to her fatigue. "I think I need a nap."

"Do you want to sleep here? You're more than welcome."

"No. I can make it back home." Home. Huh. "I tell you what, though. Why don't you and Spencer come over for dinner later and give the staff the night off?"

********************************

The Guest House. Dining Room.

Child on lap, finishing up dinner, it occurred to Claudia that she had made a bad, bad mistake eating with Nikolas so much. The horniness that came with pregnancy was hard enough without having those lips across from you at every meal -- every forkful, every spoonful, every sip drawing attention to them.

But every day that went by, it became increasingly clear that Nikolas was off-limits. First, he put her in the guest house. And when he described his trap for Helena and Rebecca, it was so clinical, he might as well have been discussing cattle futures. Well, cattle futures for a farm that had a psychotic for a matriarch.

Look at the women he was attracted to. Prinderella types, for sure. Women who were pedestal prone. Women who were Not Claudia. Of all the women Nikolas had known, Claudia was most like his grandmother. It was a wonder he didn't run screaming in the opposite direction.

She turned her attention to Spencer, and kissed the top of his head. With any luck, she wouldn't twist the kid for life the way all of the adults in her life had twisted her.

When she looked up, Nikolas was watching her.

"What?," she asked.

"Nothing," he said. When she raised an eyebrow, he conceded, "I like the way you are with him." _"Him" meaning Spencer,_ she thought. _Hah._

Well, no time like the present. "Could I...?" Claudia trailed off. Maybe not.

"What?," asked Nikolas.

"Would it be okay with you if I spent some time with Spencer?" Nikolas looked so taken aback, Claudia immediately regretted asking. "I know, I know, completely crazy. Too dangerous. Never mind."

"No, it's not that."

"Good enough for the grandmother, but not good enough for the kid."

"No. Only -- why? I know you like him, but you need your rest, and --"

Claudia nipped that in the bud. "I don't need to be comatose, Nikolas. I need to relax. I'm relaxed with Spencer. And I was just thinking that even though the nanny's good -- a little too uptight for my tastes, but good -- maybe it would be good for Spencer to be spending some of that time with someone who isn't paid to be with him."

Nikolas immediately went somewhere inside of himself.

"I'm not saying he doesn't have a great life. He does. I wish I'd had his life. You know what? Forget it. It was stupid. Classic foot in mouth," Claudia backpedaled.

"No. You're right," Nikolas interrupted. "It's a good idea. I wish I had thought of it."

"Really?"

Nikolas pushed his plate away and drummed the table with his fingers. Then he looked at Claudia. "I spent my whole childhood with people who were paid to be with me, or people who were grooming me for something. It would have been nice to have someone like you there. When do you want to start?"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Tomorrow."

********************************

General Hospital. Fifth floor.

Elizabeth was finally headed home after a long day at General Hospital. She checked the hall carefully, and then ducked into the medical supply room. She grabbed a few saline I.V. bags -- just in case Claudia ever got dehydrated -- and then started checking into needles.

"Wow. I've heard of doctors stealing drugs for profit, but this doesn't seem like it would get you much on the black market. Who are you selling to?" Elizabeth whirled around. Matt Hunter had the broadest smirk of anyone known to man. And this was going to take some fast talking.


	9. Chapter 9

General Hospital. Fifth floor supply closet.

Elizabeth stood there, caught red-handed with medical supplies.

Matt's eyes twinkled. "Can I give you hand with those? I've got a lot of time on my hands these days."

"No," said Elizabeth, silently breathing a sigh of relief. "I'm just moving this stuff to the sixth floor and going home. I can handle it."

Matt sat down on a crash cart.

"What are _you_ doing here," Elizabeth asked him.

"Haven't you heard? I have no office."

"I'm sorry, Matt. I had heard. I forgot."

"Yeah, I kinda figured everyone's noticed by now," he said, looking downcast.

_Poor guy, _she thought. "Are you on tomorrow night?," she asked.

"Whatever _that_ means," he said, nodding.

"So am I," she said. "Why don't we take our dinner break together, and I can tell you all about some of the trouble I've gotten into over the years." She quickly added, "Or we could just talk."

Matt looked like he was about to say no, but he ended up surprising them both. "Yes," he said.

"Good."

He held the door open for her as she left with the supplies.

*****************************************

Kelly's Diner. Same night.

Sam sat at the counter eating ice cream.

Jason entered. When he caught Sam's eye, he sat down at a table. Sam joined him, bringing her ice cream with her.

"I thought we were having dinner," Jason said.

"So did I," countered Sam. "But you were late, I started without you, and I'm now up to dessert. What's up?"

A waitress appeared at the table.

"Coffee," Jason said.

The waitress left the table.

"Sorry I was late. I've been looking into something, and it took longer than I thought it would," Jason said.

"Hey, that's okay, I'm fine with waiting for you, just don't expect me not to eat," Sam said, taking another spoonful of ice cream.

The waitress served the coffee and left.

"I need to ask you something about your cousin."

Sam put down the spoon. "Shoot," she said.

"How does he know Claudia Zacchara?"

"Nikolas?," Sam said in disbelief. "He doesn't. I mean, not as far as I know."

"Well, she's living with him."

"Living with him."

"Yeah."

"And Spencer."

"Yeah."

Sam sat back in her chair.

"So you know nothing about it," Jason said.

"No. I gotta admit, some small part of me is like 'Yay, Nikolas is finally getting back in the game.' But the other, really, really big part of me, is wondering what he's thinking. Claudia Zacchara." Sam suddenly inhaled sharply.

"What?"

"I wonder if Alexis knows."

*****************************************

Wyndemere. Study. Late the next morning.

Alexis carefully arranged a stack of binders, a pile of art history books, another pile of Russian history books and and a set of worn folders on Nikolas' desk.

Nikolas came around the desk to join her.

"I thought I'd start with the symbolic significance of the saint, since it's our family," Alexis began, "and well, we all know of the Cassadine fondness for naming plots."

"Ice Princess."

"Yes. Like that. And Timoria."

There was a knock at the door. Nikolas was fairly certain that it was Claudia; she hadn't shown up for breakfast, and had left word with Alfred that she'd by in the late morning to spend time with Spencer. Spencer was due at the study. Later. Nikolas was hoping to get Claudia's opinion on what Alexis had uncovered, and arranged for Claudia to arrive a few minutes early.

"Come in," Nikolas called out.

The door opened, and Claudia peered in. When she saw Alexis, she didn't address her at all, just looked right at Nikolas and said, "I thought it was the study at eleven."

"He'll be here soon," Nikolas said. "Have a seat."

Claudia went and took a seat a little away from Nikolas and Alexis. Alexis looked at Nikolas in confusion and frustration.

"It's all right, Alexis," he said. "Go on."

"Sure. Why not? Maybe Maxie Jones would like a piece of this, too. Maybe we should call her in on this."

Nikolas crossed his arms, gave Alexis a stern look and waited.

"I found no significance in the saint, or the artist, or the transport of the painting throughout the years," Alexis continued. "I can't see why Helena would ask for that painting at all. Unless there was something hidden in the painting."

"Like what?"

"I don't know."

"Helena asked you for a painting?," Claudia asked.

Alexis stared at Nikolas. Nikolas ignored her and answered Claudia. "Yes."

Claudia nodded and went silent again.

Alexis waited for a beat, and then continued. "The painting had been moved only twice by the time you gave it to her: once in 1965, from St. Petersburg to Greece, and once in 1996, from Greece to Port Charles. Each time, it accompanied Helena."

"She left it behind here?," Claudia asked.

Alexis turned to Claudia, exasperated with the interruptions. "Yes." The subtext was definitely _Now shut up_. Claudia didn't pay the subtext any mind.

"How often do you guys sell your artwork?," she asked.

"Only when we're being exiled," Alexis replied sharply, and then turned back to Nikolas. "I'm going to spend the next few days looking into the ships' manifests to see what else Helena brought with her, and check into who else traveled at the same time using the same route."

"You have a theory?," Nikolas asked.

"Nothing concrete," said Alexis.

Claudia made a sound that was related to "_Pfft._"

"What?," asked Alexis. "What is your problem?"

"Nothing," said Claudia.

There was a knock at the door. The nanny brought Spencer in. He ran to Claudia. The nanny left.

"Hey, there, Mr. Since!," Claudia said, gathering Spencer into her arms.

Alexis shot Nikolas a questioning look.

Claudia opened her purse and brought out a small toy fire truck. She gave it to Spencer, and sat him down on the floor.

"Before Helena wanted you-know-who," Claudia said to Nikolas, "What was her thing?"

"Control of the family. That's always been her supreme goal," Nikolas answered.

"You got an illustration of the family tree somewhere?," she asked.

"Yes."

"I'd like to see a copy."

"All right. I'll get you one."

Claudia nodded, satisfied. She knelt down to Spencer. "How do you feel about lunch, Little Man?"

"No!," said Spencer.

"I know!," said Claudia. "That's how I felt about breakfast. Let's go find somewhere to play."

She led Spencer out of the room.

The moment they were out of the room, Alexis turned on Nikolas. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I think she could have some necessary insight into psychotic family dysfunction," he replied.

"Well, we'll talk about _that_ later. I'm talking about the fact that letting Claudia 'play' with Spencer is like letting a nascent Helena spend her version of quality time with your son!"

"They'll be fine."

Alexis threw up her hands.

***********************************************

The docks. Late evening.

Rebecca stared across the water to Spoon Island.

When all this started, it was supposed to be easy money, getting her fair share. When his grandmother got involved, she thought it would help. But that was before she had felt something for Nikolas.

When someone's behaving like a stalker obsessed with his dead wife, you tend not to think you'll ever get emotionally involved. But that was before the polite awkwardness that sometimes came upon him. Before the dancing. Before...well, everything else. And now she was in trouble. Because not only was the grandmother getting nasty, not only was she dealing with Ethan's snarkiness, but she also had to contend with her own overly-suspicious jealousy.

One day. He hadn't called when he said he was going to, and there was a green-eyed monster playing babysitter to her every thought. She took out her cell phone and dialed. "Hello, Alfred. It's Rebecca Shaw. Is Nikolas there? ... Do you know where he is? ... I see. ... No, no message. Just tell him I called."

That settled things. She was just going to have to go over to Spoon Island herself and check things out. Set her mind at rest, and gather information that would calm down both Helena and Ethan.

************************************************

The Guest House. Living Room.

Claudia was relaxing on the couch, a large pair of stereo headphones cupping either side of her belly, when Nikolas knocked.

"Come in!," she called out.

Nikolas entered. "Rebecca called. Alfred told her I was with you. She's should reach the Island any moment. What are you doing?"

"I'm giving my child a head start in good taste," she said, reluctantly lifting the headphones off and sitting up. "Rebecca's here? What do you want us to do?"

Nikolas looked around the room. Window curtains were already drawn open. Good. What next?

"First time, huh?," said Claudia. "That's okay. Let me take the wheel and you can drive next time."

"Didn't you get into an accident the last time you took the wheel?" The second the words were out of his mouth, Nikolas knew he had said the worst thing possible at that exact moment. Claudia's hands flew immediately to her abdomen, and her eyes became watery.

"I'm sorry," Nikolas said quietly.

Claudia sat silently for a moment. Then she gathered the headphones, got up, went to the stereo, put the headphones down, and shut the stereo off.

She walked over to the door and brought the lights up just the slightest bit.

She got up and went over to the desk where she'd left the tech company file. "Might as well get some work done while we're at it."

Nikolas went and stood by her side.

"Behind me," she directed. He looked questioningly at her. She stared back evenly at him. He moved behind her. "Lean over my shoulder."

Nikolas leaned over her shoulder. Her hair brushed his cheek, and he caught the scent of her perfume. Somehow, in all of his planning, he'd forgotten that he'd need to be so close to Claudia. This was a mistake.

"Good," she said. "Now look intrigued, but while you're doing that, I need help with a problem." She opened the file.

_So do I,_ thought Nikolas. But he didn't say that. He just asked, "What?"

"I think there's a problem with the Chinese arm of your operation, but I'm not sure. My Mandarin sucks."

_How was it possible that she was even curvier than before? _"You said you were fluent."

"That's because I thought it would be in Cantonese. Oh."

"What?"

"Hey. I..." She turned so that she was facing him. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she was smiling. She grabbed his hand and pressed it to her belly.

"What are you...?" And then he felt it. The baby was kicking.

"I guess the kid likes Frank," she said quietly.

"Frank?"

"Sinatra." She gestured with her head over to the stereo. He got it. He laughed. And then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rebecca leaving.

Claudia must have seen something in his look, because she tilted her head to get his attention. "Where is she?"

"She's gone."

"Good." She pulled away from him and slipped away from the desk. "You did good. It was intimate, but no concrete evidence that we're lovers." But he wasn't off the hook. She added, "The best lies always have something real in them."

She shut the file.

"Thanks for letting me spend time with Spencer today. We can finish up the business talk tomorrow. Don't forget to get me your family tree. I'm heading up to bed." She started up the stairs. "Gonna have a talk with the kid before we both go to sleep. You should probably wait ten minutes, and then you can go."

And with that, she finished her climb and went to her room, leaving Nikolas dumbstruck.


	10. Chapter 10

The Guest House. Morning.

Claudia put the last breakfast dish into the dishwasher. Unfortunately, the pan was going to take a little more work. Maybe she'd better soak it. She idly wondered if anyone had ever made Spencer pancakes in animal shapes.

This arrangement was making Claudia's head spin. On the one hand, she had never felt this safe in her whole life. On the other hand, she'd never been this abstinent. Between the no alcohol or drugs (because of the baby) and the no sex (because of Nikolas), she was bucking for some kind of record.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Probably Nikolas with the family tree. And those lips.

She went into the living room and opened the door.

Not Nikolas. The Brother. Claudia remembered what he'd been like the last time a Zacchara had been involved with a Spencer. Great.

"Detective Spencer," she said, opening the door wider for him. "Come on in."

***************************************

General Hospital. Nikolas' office.

Nikolas sat at his desk, half-heartedly re-doing an inventory report to cover for Elizabeth. Elizabeth. And Jason. And Jake. And how did Claudia know? Was Claudia lying?

Everyone talked about Claudia's skill as a liar, and he'd seen it on the witness stand at Logan's trial. But he was pretty sure she'd never lied to him. What did that mean?

He'd never had any tolerance for anyone who chose a violent life. Then again, he wasn't sure Claudia had had much choice. Although she was stubbornly refusing to divorce Sonny. What could she possibly want to hold onto about being a Zacchara? Besides her brother? She was smart enough to work her way up to a position of power in another world.

And it didn't look like being female in that family gave you any leverage at all. In fact, all it did was put your life in jeopardy and relieve you of any position in the family. Which was like the Cassadine Way. Aside from Helena. Ironically, the Cassadine whom Claudia most resembled in family position was Alexis. But Alexis had had Stefan. And Nikolas suspected that Claudia's Uncle Rudy hadn't been quite as helpful about setting Claudia up outside the family business.

He lost his train of thought the second Lulu burst into his office.

"What are you doing with that slut?," she demanded.

****************************************

The Guest House.

"Can I get you something?," Claudia asked.

"Just some answers," Lucky answered.

Claudia took a seat on the couch. She gestured to Lucky.

"No, thank you," he said.

_Nice move,_ thought Claudia. _Standing implies a position of power. _She wondered if they taught him that at cop school.

"Nikolas has been through hell. He's extremely vulnerable. I didn't even know you two knew each other, and now you're living on Spoon Island. What are you doing with my brother?," he asked.

Claudia bit her lip, trying to remember Nikolas' phrase. It was a really good phrase. What was it? Oh. Right. "We're helping each other out in a few matters."

****************************************

The Haunted Star. Afternoon.

Ethan stacked another box of empties while Lulu continued her profanity-laced monologue.

Rebecca hadn't been able to find out anything. Lucky hadn't been, well, lucky either. And no unknown guests were allowed on Spoon Island anymore.

So dropping the little tidbit about Claudia and Nikolas over breakfast had been a stroke of brilliance, he must say, but nothing conclusive had come out of Lulu's outrage-fueled inquisition of Nikolas. The only thing Nikolas was willing to share with his sister, apparently, was --

"'Helping each other in a few matters!,'" Lulu said, complete with air quotes. "What does that mean?"

_Well,_ thought Ethan, _it means it's time for a phone call I really don't want to make._

**************************************

Wyndemere. Living Room.

Nikolas came home to find Spencer asleep on the couch, his head on Claudia's lap as she stroked his hair.

"Hey," she whispered. "I think I wiped him out. Sorry."

Nikolas smiled. "That's fine."

Claudia eased her way out from under Spencer. She gently placed a throw on top of him, and joined Nikolas.

"I got the family tree," she whispered. "Thanks."

"You don't have to whisper," Nikolas said. "He could sleep through an apocalypse."

"Or your grandmother."

"Or my grandmother."

"So."

"Yes?," said Nikolas.

"Three things. One: if you have time, I need for you to look over the Chinese section of the technology development website. I think there's something funny in the section about proprietary information."

"Are you falling down on the job?," he said mockingly.

"No," Claudia said, echoing his tone of voice. "But wouldn't you rather waste your money buying my little friend a puppy rather than hiring a translator?"

Nikolas laughed. "No puppy. No translator. I'll look at the website. What are the other things?"

"Number two is Cassadine history."

Nikolas took Claudia's elbow and steered her away from Spencer.

"I think we should probably keep our voices down for this part of the conversation," he said in hushed tones.

"Okay," she murmured. "Your father."

"Stavros."

"Yes. Only one surviving sibling."

"Yes. Alexis."

"So how does it work for Cassadines? For the line of succession?," she clarified.

"It goes by the male line."

"So oldest male, and then who?"

"Then the oldest male's oldest child," Nikolas recited.

"What happens if there are no more males left in the line?"

"Yes," Nikolas said, seeing where she was going. "Helena tried to do that before by forging false DNA records for me. At which point, the matriarch -- Helena -- assumed control of the family. But that option has now been removed. Our family is too treacherous, so the surviving family members modified succession. Once the male lines have been exhausted, it goes to the oldest female in the generation under my grandfather. It goes to Alexis."

"Gotcha," said Claudia. "Thanks."

"And number three?," asked Nikolas.

"Your brother came to see me. He really doesn't like me."

"My sister visited me at the hospital today, too. I said we're helping each other out in a few matters."

"Me too. Do you think it's gotten back to Helena yet?"

Nikolas smiled. "My brother and sister were just coming on their own, I think. I would guess we have some time before Helena shows. But I'll start looking into additional security later this week."

***************************************

The Haunted Star. Evening.

Ethan decided to take advantage of the dinnertime lull. He went out back, took out his cell phone, and dialed.

"Lovett," he said, when the person at the other end picked up. "Yeah, no progress on that front. ... There's another woman involved. ... I don't know. ... No one's found anything concrete. ... We've tried all available avenues. ... Her name is Claudia Corinthos, but most people know her as Claudia Zacchara. ... That's easy. He's got her living in his guest house."

And the person on the other end of the line ended the phone call with a _click_.

***************************************

Spoon Island. The path from Wyndemere to the Guest House.

Nikolas walked Claudia down the winding path.

They walked in silence for a bit.

"Is anyone on the Island now but us?," Claudia asked.

"The guards. Alfred. The nanny. The cook. The housekeeper. The groom. The --"

"I get it, I get it," Claudia interrupted, laughing. "I meant: is there anyone who could overhear our conversation now?"

"Just the bats and the spiders," Nikolas said.

She glanced over at him. "Rebecca kinda tore you up, huh?," she prodded gently.

"At first," he answered slowly. "But I think I wanted her because of her connection to Emily. I didn't actually want her for herself. So it probably wouldn't have worked anyway."

Claudia let them walk in silence a little more. "What happened to the nurse? Nadine."

"Rebecca happened. Well, it was really Emily that happened, if you know what I mean."

"I do," she said. "Nikolas."

"What?," he asked.

"Everything here is so ordered. Everything has a place. It's one of the reasons I feel so safe here. Dinner is at the same time every day. The launch travels at the same speed for every trip. But even the guest house tea kettle is so perfectly designed that I can set my watch by when it's going to go off."

"I don't understand," he said. "Would you like dinner served late? Should I buy malfunctioning kitchenware?"

"No," she said. "But I just... why not be a little unprepared? For something good that you have no control over?"

"He's not ready for a puppy," Nikolas said.

Claudia laughed, but was not deterred. "Don't you want someone to bowl you over, and for you to not be the architect of that moment? I know that in the worlds we live in, it's hard to not protect yourself. I sound like a big hypocrite saying all this. I lie and do worse to try to get my perfect world; you just micro-manage." They reached the guest house and she moved in front of him to face him. "It's too late for me. You already made your way out of this life, Nikolas. Why would you want to make your way back into it?"

She had asked it like a genuine question, she waited a long time for the answer, but he had none.

She touched his cheek. And then she went inside.

Nikolas didn't move for a long time. He knew what Claudia meant. He had grown in reverse. He was back to who he had been before Emily. He watched as the lights went off downstairs and then upstairs. And then he began the long walk home.


	11. Chapter 11

GreyStone. Morning.

Sonny looked out of his window to Kate's house.

"You want to go back to that?," Jason said. He hadn't missed what Sonny's eyes were focused on.

"No," said Sonny. He turned away from the window and went to the bar. "No. I want to know what Claudia's up to."

"I told you, I can't get to the Island."

Sonny threw a shot glass at the wall and it shattered.

Jason continued in measured tones. "She has a doctor's appointment tomorrow. And we have people on the docks and at the hospital. She can't stay on the Island forever, Sonny."

"You know who we need?," Sonny said. "Luke Spencer. He knows that Island. He knows ways on it and around it that can't be protected."

"I tried finding Luke," Jason said.

"And?," Sonny asked.

"He's missing."

Sonny pounded his fist against the bar. Then he jerked his head up. Decision made. "Okay," he said. "Then we send our messages through Johnny."

****************************************

General Hospital. Examining room. The same morning.

Claudia sat up on the examining table, fully dressed.

There was a knock and Nikolas cracked the door open. "Can I come back yet?"

"You could've stayed the whole time," Claudia said. "But sure. I'm dressed. Come in."

Nikolas came into the room. "How was it?"

"Fine. She's just putting her report together, checking on some blood work. After she gives me the all-clear, we can go. I still can't believe you were able to change my appointment."

"The fewer people who know you are here, the better," he said.

He took a seat by the table.

"You can ask me," Claudia said.

"Ask you what?"

"How I got into this mess," she said.

"You don't have to explain anything to me."

"You're going to all this trouble to protect me, I figure you deserve to know why."

"All right," Nikolas said, "Here's what I don't understand. One of the first things you said to me was that you hated Sonny. And one of the next things you said after that was that he'd hate you too if he knew what you had done. Here's a person who was bound to hate you, and then bound to kill you. Who goes ahead and marries that person?"

"That would be me."

"Why?"

She could have pulled off the insane act with almost anyone else, but Nikolas knew her. "It was a command performance. The marriage. My father insisted."

Nikolas was going to argue, but he remembered that both Johnny and Claudia had talked realistically about Anthony killing Claudia. Nikolas could see where Claudia probably had very little choice.

"But there's more," Claudia said. _Here goes nothing_, she thought. "I wanted it." She quickly glanced at Nikolas, making sure he wasn't blanching. "If I hadn't done this, the Zacchara organization would be gone as soon as my father died. John still isn't ready to step up. There are years and years of my family's money and history and work in this organization. Sonny would be easier to dismantle than my father. And then I would clear the way for John when he was ready. I was saving my heritage. For John." She tried stopping there. She really did, but Nikolas was like her own personal truth serum. And so, "And then I liked the power I had once I was inside. Sonny was much more willing to involve me in the business than my father was. So there you go."

Clauda sat waiting for some kind of response, and was grateful Nikolas didn't follow up with questions about why she was sleeping with Sonny. _He's probably too busy drawing parallels to his grandmother,_ she thought.

Instead, Nikolas was wondering how he could get her to see that a life was possible outside of all of this.

Dr. Lee entered the room, carrying Claudia's chart.

"Well?," Claudia said.

"Much improved. Blood pressure back within normal range, and you're at a good weight for this stage of pregnancy. I'm going to take you out of the high risk category, but don't take that as permission to get back into the kind of stress you had before. You can start back with light exercise. Sex is okay for now. Make sure you're sleeping enough."

Claudia slid off of the examination table. "So I'm good?"

"Not so fast," Dr. Lee said. "We're still waiting for your blood work to come back."

Claudia hopped back up on the table. Dr. Lee left.

Claudia looked at Nikolas, "I think I can take it from here."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," she answered. "You're going to miss that 10 o'clock call if you stay here much longer. I'll be fine. I'll probably end up on the launch right after yours. With your guard following me."

"He's just doing his job," Nikolas said. "All right. I'll see you back at home."

****************************************

Johnny's Garage.

"Stop hiding behind women's skirts, Johnny," Sonny said.

"If you're gonna talk to me," Johnny said, "Olivia stays."

"Olivia," Sonny warned.

"What do you need me to leave for?," Olivia asked.

"It's business," Sonny said.

"We don't talk alone anymore, Sonny. That's the deal. And when I say I want someone there, I don't mean one of your men," said Johnny, gesturing to Milo.

Sonny's phone rang. He checked the number and connected to the call. "Yeah? ... When? ... No. I'll handle it." He disconnected the call, and then turned back to Johnny. "We'll continue this conversation later."

Sonny left.

"You wanna tell me what that was about?," Olivia said.

"Leverage," Johnny said, staring into the distance.

"For what?"

"The last time Sonny held me hostage, Claudia was willing to give up anything he wanted to get me back. Sonny knows that. And he wants a lot from my sister."

_Held hostage?, _ Olivia thought. No. Johnny must not be explaining this right.

***************************************

Port Charles docks.

The launch wasn't there when Claudia arrived at the docks. Sonny was.

Claudia quickly backed away, and one of Nikolas' security guards went to her side.

"I'm not here to bother you," Sonny said. "I just want to talk."

Claudia weighed her options. She turned to the guard. "Frisk him."

Sonny removed a gun from his shoulder holster and held it out in supplication. Then he raised his arms and submitted to the search.

When the guard was done, he took Sonny's gun and stepped back.

"Thank you," Claudia said to the guard. The guard moved away and made a phone call as he watched from a distance. Claudia turned to Sonny. "What do you want?"

"How's the baby?"

"The baby's fine."

"Right on schedule?"

"Nice try," Claudia said. "Did you think I'd deliver the date of my death to you?"

"I'm not going to hurt you, Claudia. You're carrying my child."

"And once I'm not?"

Sonny clasped his hands together. "I could never hurt the mother of my child."

"I don't know that."

"Well, I can't convince you if you stay holed up in Dracula's castle where I can't see you."

"Maybe I don't want to be convinced."

"We need each other, Claudia."

"Last I checked, only one person is carrying this baby."

"The organization is falling apart."

Claudia was silent.

Sonny continued, "The Russian shipments. I'm using a translator. But the money is late."

"What else?"

"Your Uncle Rudy is withholding the income from the arms contracts." Claudia remained silent. "He hasn't heard from you, Claudia -- it looks bad!"

"Have Dominic talk to him."

"He's gonna wonder why his niece won't get on the phone." Time to get down to brass tacks. "What are you doing, Claudia? I haven't got any divorce papers yet, and I don't think I'm gonna get 'em. Because you know if one of us goes down, both of us go down."

"I know."

"So?"

"So I need to think. Right now, I need to stay alive long enough to have my baby. And then I'll let you know."

"This can't wait five months!"

In the silence that followed, it occurred to Sonny that Claudia hadn't once raised her voice.

The launch approached the dock.

"I need some time. I'll let you know as soon as I can," said Claudia.

She nodded to the guard. He stood by Sonny as Claudia boarded the launch. As soon as she moved out of sight, the guard handed Sonny his gun back.

****************************************

The docks. Spoon Island.

Nikolas met Claudia on the pier.

"What did he want?," he asked.

"It's okay," she reassured him. "It was just business. He's getting a little desperate, since my defection makes him seem weak."

They started on the path to the guest house.

"Sonny is not ready for international dominance," she explained. "The players are unfamiliar with him. He only speaks two languages. And he hasn't really _done_ anything."

"But he's the head of the Zacchara organization?," Nikolas said incredulously.

"Sonny has an ego that's not quite the size of your grandmother's, but it comes close. For months, he's been trumpeting the fact that he 'took down the Zacchara organization from the inside.' His takeover consisted of marrying the daughter while the son was uninterested in the business. And once inside, do you want to know what his genius maneuver was?," she asked Nikolas.

"Go on," he said.

"I told him my father shot Kate Howard. From there, the power balance of the Zacchara family shifted."

Nikolas stopped walking. "Wait. Are you telling me that the only reason Sonny has complete control over your family's organization is because you threw in with him?"

"Well, if you want to be blunt... yes."

"So why don't you just withdraw from the alliance?"

"Because that would leave everything in complete disarray. I'm a woman, Nikolas. There's no way I could take over. No matter how right I am for the job. And John doesn't want the job."

"Let me help you."

"No way." The last thing she wanted was Nikolas involved in that world. He had taken on too much already.

They reached the guest house.

"I'll be over for Spencer soon," she said, a little winded.

"I could just send him over to you."

"Hey, you know what? You could."

"And then when you're done, you could bring him back over and we could have dinner," he suggested.

"Okay."

"I mean, just you and me."

Claudia looked at him curiously. "Okay."

"I'll have the nanny bring Spencer over in an hour, if that's good for you."

"It's good for me."

"All right," he said.

She stared at his back as he left.

****************************************

General Hospital. Eighth floor Nurses Station.

Elizabeth checked through patient charts. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a black t-shirt recede into a nearby corridor. She looked up. There was Jason. He signaled to her.

Elizabeth looked around, making sure no one was watching her, and then joined Jason in the corridor.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi. I'm sorry to do this to you, but I need something."

"What is it?," she asked.

"You have a patient here. Sonny's wife. She's pregnant. I need to know how she's doing."

Jason had been re-born on the day of his accident, and sometimes Elizabeth swore it made him look like an innocent kid much younger than his years. "I don't work with that department, Jason."

"Yeah, I know. But I really need to know how the pregnancy is going."

As he waited for an answer, a sign that she would help him, she was suddenly flooded with memories of Jake's birth. Of course. Sonny wanted to be there when his child was born. He wanted to know that the baby was okay.

Elizabeth touched Jason's hand. "She's okay. You can tell Sonny the baby's fine. Right on schedule," she confided.

_She didn't even have to look in a file, _he thought. Something to look into.

"I should ...," Elizabeth pointed to the Nurses Station.

"Okay. Thanks. It's important."

By the time Elizabeth made her way to the Nurses Station, Jason was nowhere to be seen.

But Matt was.

He leaned over and whispered to her, "So the other night ... those IVs were for the mob, weren't they? Big saline smuggling ring?"

He looked at her with mock wide-eyed wonder. She laughed.

*****************************************

Wyndemere. Study.

Alexis paced the floor.

Nikolas entered.

"Sorry to drop by unexpectedly," said Alexis. "Is Claudia around?"

Nikolas narrowed his eyes at Alexis. "You want to speak with Claudia?"

"Yes. And no, I'm not looking to argue with her, it's just -- well, something she said the other day has been bothering me."

"What?"

"Well, to begin with, the '_pfft'_ sound bothered me, but that's not what I'm talking about. It's probably nothing. Is she around?"

"She's at the guest house, getting ready for Spencer," Nikolas said. "If you'd like, you can walk him over and ask her your question."

********************************************

The Guest House.

Claudia knew something was wrong when she came down the stairs, but she didn't betray an ounce of that knowledge. Instead, with every step she took, she also took inventory of what was at her disposal. Someone was looking to catch her off guard, so it was in her best interest to return the favor when they finally struck. She hoped against hope that there weren't any explosives involved. In the first place, Spencer was due here soon. And in the second place, she did not know how to disarm explosives.

So far, so good. No one had made an appearance. And she was well-dressed. That would work in her favor, Mob or no Mob.

_Might as well get this over with_, she thought. She went into the kitchen. No one there. She set the tea kettle to boil, and then surreptitiously checked the utensil drawer. Empty. Oh, well. She silently shut the drawer.

She quietly removed her heels, and then removed her stockings. She weighed her options, and then put her heels back on. They might come in handy later.

Then she took the broom handle and used it to swing the kitchen door open. A figure slid into view, and then lost its balance when its victim was not there. Claudia took advantage of her opponent's weakness and quickly moved in behind, using a stocking to choke her would-be attacker.

Her attacker slashed at Claudia with a knife. Surface wound. Claudia backed away, dropped the stocking, pulled a mini-revolver from her thigh holster and aimed it at her unwelcome visitor.

The visitor turned to face her.

"Oh, Grandmother, what a very big knife you have," Claudia said.


	12. Chapter 12

The Guest House. Living Room.

Claudia stood with her back to the front window of the guest house, facing Helena.

So this was the big, bad Helena. She looked like she'd blow away if someone closed an encyclopedia volume with too much force in her direction. But looks could be deceiving, so Claudia stayed on her guard.

Helena eyed Claudia.

"What have we here?," said Helena.

"Well, I like to think of me as a 'who' and not a 'what,' but I can see where that wouldn't work for you," said Claudia. "Makes it harder to kill. I've been there."

"I presume you are the infamous Claudia Zacchara I've been hearing so much about," Helena said, studying Claudia.

"Technically, I'm Claudia Corinthos. Still married. What do you want?" With any luck, Helena would babble like a bad comic book villain.

"Just curious about the woman my grandson is so interested in. You can understand that, can't you?," Helena purred.

"I thought you people were more genteel than my people. I thought you asked questions first, and _then_ slit the throats."

"What do you want with my grandson?," asked Helena.

"That's it? That's all you want? You could have asked nicely. Instead you had to make me drip my blood all over my nice dress," complained Claudia.

"The dress is black. It won't show," said Helena.

Claudia had only one goal right now: to reverse positions. She had to get Helena's back to the window before the nanny brought Spencer up the path. Everything else could wait. Unfortunately, she could not use her gun to do it. Guns going off near children -- not going to happen again.

So she was going to have to get Helena closer to her. Just then, the baby kicked. _Oh, not now, honey,_ she thought_._

"Your grandson and I," Claudia began, purposefully waving her gun around like an incompetent shoots-like-a-girl type, "are helping each other out in a few matters." She really needed to get that stitched on a pillow when this was over.

"What... does... that... mean?," asked Helena, as if to a backward child.

"It means," said Claudia, "that we'll let you know when we feel like it." She leaned in a little toward Helena, whispering girlishly, as if confiding in Helena, "It's all so new, we don't want to jinx it. Hey," she said, resuming a normal no-nonsense tone of voice, "I have a question for you."

"What's that?," asked Helena, inching closer.

Claudia really hoped she'd found Helena's trigger. "Who's Nikolas' new uncle?," said Claudia.

Helena looked momentarily thrown off-balance and then rushed toward Claudia, knife first.

At that moment, the tea kettle went off with a loud piercing whistle, and Helena lost her focus just in time for Claudia to side-step her. Helena pitched forward, and Claudia grabbed her arm, whirling her around so that Helena's back hit the window. Mission One accomplished.

Just in time. Here came Alexis (?!) up the walk with Spencer.

Claudia grabbed Helena's knife arm and kept pounding the older woman's wrist into the window, which served two purposes. It got Alexis' attention, quickly sending her back down the path with Spencer in her arms, and it forced Helena to drop the knife. Claudia kicked the knife away. Done, and done.

"Okay," said Claudia. "Do I have your attention?"

Helena tried to bang her knee into Claudia's belly.

Claudia backed away, training her gun on Helena and staring at her in eerie disbelief. "Did you just try to kick my kid?"

And Helena knew she had made a terrible mistake.

Claudia gestured with her gun. "Down on the floor, Grandma."

********************************************

Wyndemere. Living room.

Alexis burst in carrying Spencer.

"Helena's at the guest house!," she shouted at Nikolas. Nikolas was on his feet immediately.

"Where's Claudia?"

"She's with her. They were struggling when I saw them."

Nikolas rushed to the door, calling over his shoulder, "Call Elizabeth Webber, and get her down here immediately."

*********************************************

The Guest House.

"I don't care if you once owned all of Greece," Claudia fumed, circling Helena, who was sitting on the floor with her hands on top of her head. "This Island is now Nikolas'. And he has given this guest house to me. Which means you have been a very rude guest in _my_ home." Claudia was on a roll now, and it wasn't going to stop any time soon. "And you didn't even bring a house-warming gift. In fact, you removed all my utensils, you incompetent." _That _got her attention. "That's right, I said 'incompetent.' What kind of moron plans a surprise attack and then wears perfume? And have you never seen _Raiders of the Lost Ark_? Gun versus knife -- no brainer."

Claudia looked Helena over carefully. Helena wasn't sure what Claudia was looking for, but she was becoming a little afraid.

"Now. You're gonna stay away from Nikolas and Spencer," Claudia continued. "Or you're gonna end up with your head in a vice. And I won't stop squeezing no matter how much you answer." Claudia took careful aim, and shot. A bullet grazed Helena's shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry," said Claudia. "Did you want to change into black before I did that?"

Just then the door flew open. Nikolas was there with two of the security guards. He rushed to Claudia's side and gestured the guards over to his grandmother.

"Congratulations, Nikolas." said Helena, a little woozy. "You finally chose a woman who could be a Cassadine. Too bad she'll never clean up well."

The two guards pulled Helena to her feet, and carried her out of the guest house. Nikolas took off his shirt and pressed it against the cut on Claudia's wrist.

"You okay?" said Nikolas.

Claudia nodded.

"How's the baby?"

"Fine. That witch tried to kick my belly."

"Can you walk? I have Elizabeth coming to the main house."

"I can walk," she said. "Did Spencer see anything?"

**********************************************

Wyndemere. Nikolas' bedroom.

Claudia sat on the couch, while Elizabeth began her examination and Nikolas hovered. Alexis watched from a distance.

"Shouldn't she be lying down?," Nikolas asked Liz.

Elizabeth lifted Nikolas' makeshift bandage from Claudia's wrist.

"Does she need stitches?," Nikolas asked.

"I don't need stitches," Claudia said.

"Where have I heard that before?," Nikolas asked her.

Claudia smiled slightly, for the first time since he'd found her with Helena.

Alexis eyed the scene curiously.

Elizabeth dipped a cotton ball in disinfectant. "She doesn't need stitches."

Claudia winced as the disinfectant made contact with her skin, but she didn't make a sound. Elizabeth bandaged the cut.

"Claudee!," Spencer called from outside the door.

"Claudia," Alexis said. "I need to talk to you."

Claudia called out to Spencer, "I'll be right there, Spencer! Just give me a minute!" She nodded to Alexis.

Elizabeth took Claudia's blood pressure.

"Claudia," Alexis said. "Do you think Mikkos had another son?"

"I know he did."

"You know he did."

"Are you surprised? That guy was the Sonny Corinthos of the Cassadines."

"You know this for sure?"

"Well, I suspected, but unfortunately I blew my wad to distract Helena and her reaction confirmed it."

Elizabeth finished up. "You're fine, Claudia."

"Thanks," Claudia said to Liz.

"You told Helena that you knew?," Alexis continued with their conversation.

"In so many words," Claudia answered. "I had to get her off balance. Spencer was coming." She looked up into Alexis' eyes. "Did he see anything?"

"No."

Claudia burst into tears. She nodded. "Good. Good."

Nikolas pulled Alexis away from Claudia. "Let's continue this another time."

He knelt in front of Claudia.

"He's okay," he said.

Claudia wiped her face. "Okay. Can I see him?"

"I'm going to take Liz to look at Helena. And then Alexis and I will go over security. Will you be all right here?"

Claudia took a deep breath and composed herself. "Yeah. I want to see him."

"Will you be all right watching him until we get back?," he asked. "I'll have a guard posted right outside."

"We'll be fine."

Nikolas nodded to Alexis. She opened the door and Spencer ran in to Claudia, carrying a children's book.

"Hey there, big guy." Claudia dropped to the floor and hugged Spencer. "Let me look at you."

Nikolas held the door open for Elizabeth and Alexis, and they left the room.

Claudia looked Spencer over carefully. He looked the same. Nothing had touched him.

"So what do you want to do?," she asked. "Do you want to read your book?"

"No!," he answered.

Nothing had touched him.

*******************************************

Wyndemere. The Study.

Nikolas had had lunch sent in to Claudia and Spencer in the bedroom.

Liz had bandaged up Helena's wound. After weighing the options, at Alexis' suggestion, Helena had been left to stew in a cot in the basement overnight. There were four guards watching her. The lack of control over her situation was bound to set her on edge. That could only help.

Liz had been sent home with a security detail, and instructions to bring Lucky into the loop.

"Helena must have come into the guest house from here," Alexis was saying. "There's a tunnel connecting the two buildings, but it hasn't been used since the 90's. I think we should board it up."

"We'll ask Claudia what she thinks," Nikolas said in a deadened tone.

"When do you want to talk to Helena?," Alexis said.

"Ideally? Never." Nikolas laughed hollowly. "But I guess you and I can go down there tomorrow and give it a try."

"I'd like to talk to Claudia about our new relative."

"Tomorrow."

"All right. Tomorrow," Alexis said. "Nikolas." Nikolas looked up at Alexis, shell-shocked. "Claudia's okay. She's probably more equipped to handle Helena than any of us."

"That doesn't mean she should have to," Nikolas said.

*********************************************

Wyndemere. Nikolas' bedroom.

When Nikolas returned to his bedroom, Spencer and Claudia were asleep on the bed. Spencer's head was tucked into the curve of Claudia's neck, and Claudia had her arms wrapped protectively around him. She woke with a start as Nikolas took Spencer from her.

"It's okay," he said. "I've got him. I'll be right back."

When he did get back from tucking Spencer in, Claudia was fully awake and sitting on the couch.

Nikolas sat beside her. He took her hand in his, and stared at her bandaged wrist. When he looked up, his eyes were red-rimmed. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Oh, come on, Nikolas," Claudia said. "You're not going to try to take the blame for this, are you?"

"I promised," he said. "I said that you and your baby were safe."

"Hey," she said. "Nobody's perfect. Besides, you _didn't_ say that your grandmother was completely incompetent. Advantage: Zacchara."

Nikolas smiled weakly. "Are you okay?," he asked.

Claudia looked at their joined hands. She took a deep breath. "When John was a little bit older than Spencer, he saw his mother get shot. By our father. He was never the same boy." She looked up at Nikolas. "I was so scared I might have done that to Spencer."

Nikolas wiped away a stray tear from Claudia's cheek.

They looked into each other's eyes for a long moment. She brought her hand up and brushed his cheek. He bent his head as she lifted hers, and their lips met. It was such a gentle, tender kiss.

They pulled apart, opening their eyes and quietly looking at each other. He lifted her up and carried her to the bed. She pulled his shirt out of his waistband as he gently kissed his way from her mouth to her neck.

"Oh," she said, suddenly.

He looked up at her.

"Sorry," she said. "Baby's kicking."

He looked down and slowly unwrapped her dress. He pressed his hand to her belly, and then looked up at her, smiling. She smiled back tentatively. He bent his head and kissed her belly. She brushed her hand through his hair.

Then he tenderly kissed the scar that he'd helped to heal so long ago, and she fought not to lose herself. She pulled him back up to her so that they were looking into each other's eyes again. "You won't make me fall in love with you," she insisted, her eyes filled with tears.

He didn't answer, just began the slowest, most tempting journey to her lips. His eyes closed. She battled with herself, and then her eyes closed. Their lips met. And it began.


	13. Chapter 13

Wyndemere. Nikolas' bedroom. Morning.

Claudia woke up first, raised her head slightly, surveyed their intertwined bodies and then carefully lowered her head back down to Nikolas' chest. This was the first time she'd actually spent the night with a man since leaving Milan. She and Ric always tore out of Jake's quickly and separately (to avoid discovery by John). And, except for their first time, Sonny couldn't get away from her fast enough every time they were together. (Of course, if she'd given him any choice that first time, it probably would have fit the pattern). She was prepared for any reaction Nikolas might have to waking up with her, but if he was going to bolt from her, she'd rather put it off. So she didn't move.

Nikolas' eyes slowly opened and focused. He smiled and pulled her closer.

"Good morning, Master Nikolas," Alfred said, as he entered the room bearing breakfast and the morning newspapers. "Mrs. Corinthos."

Nikolas' expression soured and he sat up in bed. "Alfred," he said.

"Yes, sir?"

"Miss Zacchara."

"Very good, sir. Good morning, Miss Zacchara."

"Good morning," Claudia said, slowly getting her bearings and sitting up, loosely holding the top sheet in front of her body.

Alfred set the breakfast tray and newspapers down and left.

Nikolas was about to reach for the business section when he suddenly remembered his first morning with Nadine. Of course, Claudia was no Nadine, but he'd learned there were rules about things like Mornings After The First Time. He'd thought breakfast and the paper was perfectly acceptable. Until he'd gotten a lecture from every relative, friend and acquaintance about inappropriateness and awkwardness.

Claudia reached over and pulled the paper towards them. She separated out the business section and handed it to Nikolas. Then she pulled out the crossword puzzle and turned to Nikolas.

"I like the way you wake up around here," she said. "Do you have a pen?"

Nikolas dropped the business section and pushed her back down on the bed, grinning. Claudia dropped the crossword puzzle, grabbed the back of Nikolas' head and pulled him down to her. She had no idea what she'd just done to inspire him, but she was definitely going to take advantage of it. Breakfast and the crossword could wait.

**********************

Wyndemere. The study.

Alexis arrived at ten and found Nikolas in the study.

She dropped her briefcase on the desk, and popped open its latches, saying, "I have an appointment at 2 that couldn't be cancelled, but I cleared the rest of my schedule."

Alfred entered the study with a small suitcase. "Master Nikolas," he said, "I gathered the ..." he cleared his throat "... items you asked for. Shall I...?"

"Miss Zacchara is up in the bedroom, Alfred," Nikolas answered.

"Very good, sir." Alfred departed with the suitcase.

Alexis raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me Claudia stayed in a guest bedroom last night. Or that she's packing up some linens for the guest house."

Nikolas folded his arms over his chest and fixed Alexis with a no-nonsense look. "I realize, Alexis, that you have an expanse of room to judge, considering that you were so friendly with Jerry Jacks --"

"Yes," Alexis interrupted. "And I remember how understanding you were at the time."

"I don't recall Claudia ever poisoning you."

"Give her time."

"What have you found?," asked Nikolas, changing the subject.

"I'm pretty sure our new relative is in St. Petersburg or thereabouts. That's where the painting first traveled from, and that's where Helena has been spending most of her time traveling to. When I can find travel records."

"You're missing records?"

"Yes. She's been off the radar for months at a time."

"What about Kristina? Molly? Have you noticed anyone --?"

"No. No one suspicious."

Claudia entered the room, dressed in one of Nikolas' shirts and a pair of tight black pants. "What did I miss?," she asked.

"New relative is probably in St. Petersburg, and Helena has been disappearing for months at a time." Apparently, Alexis was now more than willing to share.

"So what's the plan?," Claudia asked.

"Actually, I'd like to try something, but I'd like to try it alone," said Nikolas.

"What?" asked both Alexis and Claudia. They quickly glanced at each other and then looked back at Nikolas.

"I'm going to go downstairs alone," Nikolas said. "Talk to Helena. Make it clear that she is now a permanent guest of our basement."

"Which will...?," asked Claudia.

"If Helena does not make an appearance soon, my guess is that my new uncle will come looking for her," said Nikolas.

"I don't like this," said Alexis. "In the first place, who's to say we'll even know who we're looking for when he arrives?"

"And in the second place, we don't know what kind of reinforcements he has," added Claudia.

"What she said," said Alexis.

"In the third place, do we have any other options?," asked Nikolas.

Both women were silent.

"All right," said Nikolas. "Then we're agreed." He looked from Claudia to Alexis. "This could take awhile."

Nikolas left the room.

There was a very awkward silence between the two women.

"How's your divorce proceeding?," Alexis asked.

"I'm not getting a divorce."

"Lovely."

The awkward silence resumed.

"I need to make a few phone calls," said Alexis.

"I should check on the guest house," said Claudia.

Both women left the room and headed in different directions.

************************

Wyndemere. Basement.

Nikolas nodded to the guards as he approached Helena's room. He signaled to the largest, most intimidating one. "Come with me," he said.

He entered Helena's room.

She sat, sitting with her legs crossed at the ankles. Her dress was a little worse for the wear -- the big bloody stain where Claudia had shot her was disconcerting -- but for the most part, she looked unflappable.

Nikolas gestured to the guard, who took a place at the door.

Nikolas pulled a chair out and sat on it at a comfortable distance from Helena.

Then Helena smiled a big Cheshire cat smile.

"You have made an error, Nikolas, that will cost you dearly."

***********************

The Guest House.

Claudia was in the kitchen when she heard someone enter the front door. She quietly pulled out her revolver and crept to the kitchen door.

The door swung open and Claudia nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw John.

"What are you doing?," she demanded. "Do you want your head blown off?"

"What are you doing with a loaded gun pointed at the door?," he responded. "I thought this place made you feel safe."

"You need to learn how to knock," she said, putting the gun away. "And Nikolas' psychotic grandmother paid me a visit yesterday."

"Is that why you weren't answering my phone calls?"

Claudia grabbed her purse off the counter and checked her phone. "Sorry," she said.

"He said he was going to protect you," John said sullenly.

"He is. He does. Seriously, John. It's under control now. Besides, I'm related to more maniacs than he is. I can't really point a finger."

Claudia made her way out to the living room and sat on the couch. John followed her.

"I was worried about you," John said.

Claudia opened her purse, and pulled out the latest ultrasound photo.

John's eyes softened. "When'd you get this?"

"Yesterday. Clean bill of health. For both of us." She touched the back of John's hand. "Nikolas is good for me."

"You always say that. You said that Sonny was good for you."

"Well, you always say that everyone's bad for me. I'm just balancing things out," she said. She took a closer look at John. "What's wrong?"

"How's your blood pressure?"

"Within normal range. Blood work is good too. And I've started exercising again." Claudia conveniently left out a description of her new regime.

"Good," he said. "Glad to hear it." He looked back at the ultrasound photo. "And glad to see my nephew." He handed the photo back to her. She tucked it back in her purse. "But now I've gotta tell you something."

"What?"

"I don't know how to clean up your mess."

"Mess?"

"Maybe you don't remember this since you've been out here, but you were the one who dragged me back into the business. I was out. I was home free. And you got me back in. And now _you've _left it, and I'm stuck there, not knowing who's going to kill me or use me as leverage."

Claudia's face darkened. "What did Sonny do?"

"Nothing yet, Claudia, but the man is a ticking time bomb."

Claudia's hands clenched. "What did he say?"

"You know how it is -- nothing direct -- but he keeps wanting to meet with me alone."

Claudia was silent for a very long time. "Don't worry about this, John. I'll take care of it."

"No," said John. "I don't want you involving any more of Uncle Rudy's people. I don't want any more violence. I just want you to figure out a way to get me out of this mess that doesn't involve hurting anyone."

Claudia's phone rang.

"John, I --"

"Go ahead."

Claudia reluctantly answered her phone. "Yeah. ... I'm in the middle of something. ... I'll be over as soon as I'm finished." Claudia hung up.

"Nikolas?," John asked.

"It doesn't matter. Listen to me, John. I will find you a way out of this. And if you want to stay here until I do --"

"No," said John, standing. "I'll get by until you figure something out. Just do it fast."

Claudia stood up and saw him to the door.

"Take care of yourself," she said.

John kissed her cheek. "Take care of yourself and my nephew."

And he was gone.

***********************

Wyndemere. Living room.

When Claudia arrived in the living room, Lucky and Alexis were already waiting there. Nikolas was nowhere to be found.

"What's going on?," she asked.

"What are you doing here?," Lucky said.

Alexis quickly interceded. "Nikolas asked us here," she answered Claudia. "I assume he asked you too. He asked Lucky to bring a passport."

Nikolas suddenly entered the room. "Good," he said. "You're all here." He turned to Lucky. "Has Liz brought you up to date?"

"About your theories," Lucky said. "Look, I know I don't like Ethan, but I can't believe he'd be involved with Helena. And I definitely don't believe Rebecca is involved."

Nikolas nodded. "Alexis."

Alexis brought forth phone records and bank transaction records. She handed them to Lucky.

Nikolas continued, "Look those over if you need proof, but I also need you to answer me. When was the last time you saw Luke?"

Lucky looked up from reading the records. He looked shocked. "What?," he said. It was as if he hadn't heard Nikolas' question.

"When was the last time you saw Luke?," Nikolas repeated.

Lucky paled, suddenly overtaken by a great sense of dread. "Why?"

Nikolas grimaced. It must be true. He headed over to the desk and pulled out a leather money purse. "Helena says she has him. That's not all she said." Nikolas turned to Alexis. "You said St. Petersburg, right?"

"Yes," said Alexis. Nikolas opened a drawer and began packing the purse tightly with rubles.

"Helena gave strict instructions when she left -- where ever Luke is being held -- that if she doesn't return within 48 hours, Luke is to be killed."

"You let her go?" Claudia looked at Nikolas as if he'd lost his mind.

"No," said Nikolas, giving her an equally disturbed look.

"Well, why not?," Lucky asked in frustration.

"Because if we let Helena go now, she is not likely to return to Luke," explained Alexis. "Right now, she's got the next Cassadine Heir lined up."

Claudia continued, "And thanks to me, she knows we're going to be looking for him."

Nikolas went on, "If we set Helena free, she's going to be looking to secure the Heir a new hiding place. And then..."

"...she's going to kill every other Cassadine in the new Heir's way," Lucky finished the thought. "With those kinds of stakes, she'd sacrifice Luke. Where is Luke?"

"We don't know," said Nikolas. "The only thing we have to go on is that she's been spending a lot of time in St. Petersburg." He handed the leather purse to Lucky.

Lucky began to head for the door. Claudia stopped him. He looked at her with such hatred, Claudia almost felt it physically. But Detective Spencer was such a straight-and-narrow guy, he was going to need her kind of advice. So she barreled ahead. "Once you get to St. Petersburg, you're going to need to be under the radar. You're going to need to lie, and cheat, and con your way into information. And they'll be looking for someone who fits your description. Do you have someone who could work as a front for you?"

***********************

The Haunted Star. Afternoon.

Sam dealt cards to a table of businessmen who preferred a poker table at The Haunted Star to a lunch table at the Port Charles Grill.

"You have no idea what that skank is like," Lulu said to Ethan. Ethan searched Lulu for gills. She never stopped to take a breath. How was that possible? "When Johnny and I were together, she --

Lulu went quiet as Lucky burst into the room. His eyes searched the room and then narrowed as they landed on Ethan, who was behind the bar.

Lucky rushed the bar, pulling Ethan over it and throwing him to the ground. Ethan struggled to get up, while Lulu pulled Lucky back. When Ethan got to his feet, Lucky broke free of Lulu and delivered a solid right to Ethan's mouth.

"Oi!," Ethan said.

"Lucky!," Lulu shouted. "Lucky, stop!"

Sam quickly pushed her way past Lulu and Lucky to shove Ethan back. When Ethan tried to brush her off, Sam shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we're gonna do this the hard way," she said. And then she grabbed Ethan's arm, pulled it behind his back, and knocked him down to the floor by kicking the backs of his knees.

The businessmen gathered their money and quickly got out of there.

"Look at his mouth!," Lulu cried out, rushing to Ethan.

Sam looked up at Lucky. "What happened?," she asked.

"What happened?," asked Lucky. "What happened? I'll tell you what happened. The only thing that can happen when a lowlife throws in with sociopath. My father is missing." He got in Ethan's face. "_Our _father is missing. Thanks to you."

"What are you talking about, Lucky?," Lulu said, rolling her eyes.

Sam interceded. "I'm guessing our Aussie friend is the lowlife, Lucky, but you gotta help me out here: who's the sociopath?"

Lucky choked out through gritted teeth. "Helena Cassadine."

"Helena?," Sam said in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

"Ethan," Lulu said. "Tell him he's wrong."

"Yeah, Ethan," said Lucky. "Tell me I'm wrong. Helena has just told Nikolas that _our_ father has -- " Lucky checked his watch. " -- a little over 24 hours to live. Unless we find him. So tell me I'm wrong. Let him die."

Everyone was silent.

"It's just a business deal," Ethan said. "Nothing to worry about."

Lulu looked at Ethan in shock.

Lucky towered over Ethan who was still down on the floor. "So? What? You tell her Nikolas was with Claudia Zacchara? How'd that work?"

Ethan was silent and Lulu put two and two together.

Lucky pulled Ethan off the floor. "Where do you keep your passport, bro? We're gonna take a little trip and find my dad."

"I want to come," said Sam.

"Alexis and the girls are going to need you," said Lucky. "Stick by them for now. I'll call you if there's any change."

"What about me?," said Lulu.

Lucky looked Lulu up and down. "You're going to stay here, and keep yourself safe." He turned to Ethan. "Come on," he said, pulling Ethan out of the Haunted Star.

***********************

Wyndemere. Nikolas' bedroom.

Claudia sat waiting on the couch. Nikolas came in.

"How'd it go?," said Claudia.

"He was tired and only a little cranky that you didn't want to put him to bed," Nikolas said.

"That's his Daddy Time," said Claudia.

Nikolas rolled his eyes. "If you say so," he said. "Have you heard anything?"

"Nothing," Claudia said.

Nikolas sat down next to her. They both stared at the bed. Nikolas took a deep breath.

"So," he said.

"Oh, no."

"What?"

"We're not going to have a Talk, are we?"

"What do you mean?"

"Good."

"Do you mean those conversations where we explain exactly what's going on in our relationship to each other?"

"You mean that thing we're not going to do? Yes."

"I don't understand that thing."

Claudia cracked up. "That's because you're all regally mysterious."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are." Claudia put a pillow on his lap and rested her head on it. "I remember my first week here. You come off all, 'This is how normal people act -- as opposed to you, Claudia,' and then it turns out you have a grandmother who plays with knives."

Nikolas pulled her hair away from her face. "I've never been good with social niceties. I'm somewhat inept when it comes to basic interaction."

"Are you kidding?," she said, sitting up. "You're the best person I've ever met."

Nikolas rolled his eyes.

"Nik, you might not have noticed, but other people have a very strong reaction to me. And it's generally pretty rude. In fact, they want to kill me."

"They don't know you."

"Eh," she said. "I'm different around you. Whatever this --" she gestured between the two of them "is, it's easy. My life is not easy. Very few things I've ever known have been easy. And I ... Did you ever hear the parable about the spider who was asked how he walked so beautifully on eight legs?"

He laughed.

"What? You've heard it?"

"No. I just don't understand how _this_ is not having a Talk."

She laughed. And then she grew somber. "You realize that now we both have a price on our heads."

"Actually, I had noticed that."

She kissed him, and then pulled away. "I think you should know that I threatened Helena very graphically about what will happen to her if she touches you or Spencer. Does that scare you?"

"It probably should."

She got up.

"Where are you going?," he said.

"I don't know," she said.

He stood up and shut the door. "You don't know?"

A slow smile crept onto her face. "Well," she said, maneuvering him down onto the bed. "Maybe I have a _clue_."

And as she straddled him, all Nikolas could think was, _If this is the dark side, I welcome it._

************************

New York City. JFK International Airport. Flight 1413 to St. Petersburg, Russia.

The plane sat in the gate, still boarding. Ethan and Lucky sat next to each other, both very disgruntled.

An announcement came over the sound system. "Attention passengers: we should be leaving shortly. Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened and all trays are in an upright position."

Ethan leaned over to Lucky. "By the way, drongo, when I called Helena last night to tell him about your brother's girl, I didn't think she'd show up. Thought she'd want more --"

"Last night?," Lucky interrupted.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have been cleared for take-off."

Lucky unbuckled his seatbelt and barreled down the aisle to the exit as the plane began to taxi toward the runway.


	14. Chapter 14

Wyndemere. Living room. Midnight.

A huge pot of coffee was set out on the bar. A map of Port Charles was laid out on the floor. And a laptop sat on the coffee table.

Nikolas, Ethan, and Lucky hovered over Lulu as she argued on the phone.

"I can't tell you _why_, Spinelli. I just need you to help," she said. She covered the mouthpiece with her hand, "I think if I could just tell him why, we might --"

"No!," all three men said at once.

She uncovered the mouthpiece, and spoke to Spinelli again. "Let me talk to him again, Spinelli. ... Hello? Are you there? ... Jason, all I can tell you is you're going to be very, very sorry if you don't -- hello? hello? _Sonny? _Oh, thank God. Maybe you can talk some -- what? ... Sure. He's right here."

She handed the phone to Nikolas. Nikolas didn't say anything.

"You there, Cassadine?," Sonny asked.

"I'm here," Nikolas said.

"Good. It looks like I have something you want. You have something I want. Maybe we can work out a deal."

Nikolas hung up on Sonny.

"Why couldn't we just tell him why we want Spinelli here?," Lulu asked.

Ethan and Lucky looked at each other. Ethan made an "after you" gesture to Lucky.

"Because the phones are probably tapped," Lucky explained. He turned to Nikolas. "What did Sonny say?"

"He won't do it," Nikolas said. The last thing he needed was for Lulu to go off on a Claudia Rant. Hopefully, Claudia was fast asleep upstairs. If he could have locked her in the bedroom, he would have. They just got her blood pressure where it needed to be, and now Sonny was putting the screws to her. No wonder her health had been such a mess when he'd first found her in the hospital.

Lulu had turned her attention to Lucky and Ethan. "I can't believe both of you got off the flight. What if he _is _in St. Petersburg?," Lulu said.

"He's not in St. Petersburg," said Lucky.

"He's not in St. Petersburg," said Nikolas.

"But how do you _know_ that?," she persisted.

"Because she hung up on me the night before she arrived," explained Ethan. "I didn't get it either, at first."

"Helena did not have time to travel from Russia," Nikolas explained patiently. For the third time.

"But why would she have him in Port Charles? Why here?," Lulu asked.

"Because that's how she tortures you," said Lucky. "She's got closed circuit T.V.s set up near every person you love, and she pipes in the images to you. Both to torture you, and to warn you who will be hurt if you try to escape."

"Then I'd say it's better to be on her side," Ethan said. "Do you people ever come up winners against her?" Lucky looked at Nikolas, pleading with his eyes. Nikolas shook his head. No more familial violence today. They had too much to do.

"Hey!" Lulu said in a heated whisper. "She's probably got this place bugged too."

"I'm pretty sure there's nothing set up on Spoon Island," Claudia said from the doorway.

Lulu's mouth dropped open. "She's wearing your robe!," she said accusingly to Nikolas.

"What are you doing up?," Nikolas said to Claudia, ignoring Lulu.

"I didn't want anyone to miss me," Claudia said pointedly to Lulu.

"You're sure there are no hidden cameras or microphones here?," Ethan asked.

Claudia and Nikolas exchanged a look. Helena wouldn't have had to show up if there were any cameras on the Island. She would have known Claudia and Nikolas were faking. "Yes," they both answered at once. Unfortunately, that also meant that Luke wasn't hidden on the Island. Which made things more difficult.

Lucky tried punching some more information into the FBI database. Nothing happened. "This is getting me nowhere," he said.

"What are you looking for?," Claudia asked.

"We need to locate the hidden cameras and then trace them back to where Luke is being held," said Nikolas.

"You need Spinelli," said Claudia.

"You think we didn't try that?," Lulu spat out.

"Lulu," Nikolas said, trying to head her off at the pass.

"Sonny won't give permission for him to help," Lulu continued.

"We can't tell Corinthos why we need the kid because of the phone taps," Ethan added.

_Sonny always did like having "hand," _ Claudia thought. She glared at Nikolas for not coming to get her. Nikolas sighed, knowing exactly why he was getting that look. Claudia took out her phone, and walked away from the others. She dialed.

The other end picked up. "It's me," she said.

"You ready to deal?," asked Sonny.

"I'll call Uncle Rudy if you give us Spinelli. Just for 24 hours."

"Not good enough, Claudia. I want you back here."

"Not negotiable right now. By the way," she said, lowering her voice so as not to be heard, "You so much as whisper in my brother's direction, and I'll make sure your entrails are left in an unholy design on your front doorstep." She continued in her normal tone. "I'm going to tell you what's on the table. You can take it or leave it."

"I'm listening."

"I'll put a temporary fix on your business problems. It should hold until I make a decision about our alliance. You give us Spinelli, and throw in Jason for good measure."

A shadow fell over Claudia. Nikolas was standing over her, fixing her with a stern look.

"Hold on, Sonny." She put Sonny on mute. "What?"

"You're bringing Jason here?," he said.

"No," she said. "I'm bringing Jason to Detective Spencer's house. Because we've established that Luke isn't on the Island. But Sonny will think that Jason is coming to the Island. He'll like that. He'll agree."

"What does that accomplish? What do we need Jason for?"

"Dismantling a bomb. Just in case."

Nikolas considered, then nodded. As she lifted the phone back up, he grabbed her arm. "Does this leave you with any leverage?," he asked.

She rested her hand on her belly and gave him a pointed look. Just as Nikolas opened his mouth to argue, she un-muted Sonny. "Do we have a deal?," she asked.

"Deal," said Sonny. "I'll send them over as soon as you're done fixing things," said Sonny,

"You'll be hearing from Uncle Rudy and the Russians in a few minutes," said Claudia. "Oh, and send Jason and Spinelli over to Lucky Spencer's house," she added quickly. "Thanks." She disconnected the call.

**************************************

Wyndemere. The Living Room. 2 a.m.

Claudia was sleeping on the couch. Nikolas bent down to her and gently shook her awake.

"Claudia. Go to bed," he whispered.

"I'm awake," she said, half-asleep. She opened her eyes and yawned. "Have you heard anything?"

"Not yet," he said, sitting down next to her.

"How much time do we have?," she asked.

"Thirteen hours," he said. "If Helena's telling the truth. It's difficult to know when Helena is lying."

Claudia sat up. "Ask the expert," she said.

"What does that mean?"

"Let me help you figure it out."

"Will you let me help you with Sonny?"

"That's completely different," Claudia said. "And you're changing the subject. Come on. Let me help you out here. What does Helena have to gain by lying to you?"

She was never going to let him help her. He would play along. For now. "Time," he answered.

"Maybe," she said. "But only for what? Forty-eight? Twenty-four hours? That doesn't seem worth it. What does she have to gain by telling you the truth?"

"Time. And --"

Nikolas' phone rang. He connected with the call. "Lucky. ... When? ... " He turned to Claudia and mouthed "They found Luke." He spoke into the phone again. "Good. ..." Nikolas smiled at Claudia in relief.

Claudia's phone rang. She connected with her call. "Hello?"

"It's Sonny. They got him."

"I heard. Thanks for your help."

"You manipulated me."

"It happens."

"Claudia."

"What?"

"I'm an impatient man. And I know -- from experience -- what ... _provokes_ you into giving me what I want. You've been safe because I let you be safe. Because I kept you safe. You have some decisions to make. Make them quickly." The call disconnected.

Nikolas studied Claudia. He didn't like her keeping things from him. Something had happened in that phone call with Sonny earlier. He knew that much when she'd lowered her voice. There was a tension there. He saw that same tension in her now.

Claudia slowly put her phone away and turned to Nikolas.

"Who was that?," he said.

"Sonny. He wanted to let me know that Luke was safe."

Nikolas nodded. He didn't press her further. Maybe they'd both had too much of other people today. "Will you go to sleep now?," he asked her.

"Yeah. That sounds good," she said.

***********************************************************

Nikolas' bedroom. 4 a.m.

Nikolas was fast asleep. Claudia was wide awake.

When she'd lived in Milan, she could do no wrong. Every move was perfectly planned, perfectly executed. And the end result was always exactly as she'd intended. Ever since she'd hit Port Charles, however, she was King Midas in reverse. Whether it was the proximity of her father -- she always grew jittery around him -- or a new impulsiveness that hadn't exhibited itself before, Claudia had never been such a failure. Or so desperate.

Maybe it was a product of being a woman in a world that hadn't accepted women as equals. There was not single woman in the United States who had succeeded in organized crime. Except the one downstairs. In the basement.

Claudia carefully untangled herself from Nikolas. He stirred briefly and then settled again, asleep. Claudia quietly slipped out of bed and then out of the bedroom.

***********************************************************

Wyndemere. Basement.

Claudia nodded to the guard outside Helena's room. He opened the door. Claudia went inside the darkened room, the light from outside spilling in.

Asleep, Helena looked as ordered as she did awake. No fitful dreams for her. Claudia doubted Helena had ever lost a moment of sleep. Or lived in terror of talking in her sleep. How did she do it?

Helena's eyes slowly opened. She turned her head and looked at Claudia, her eyes narrowing in recognition. "What do you want?," she said.

Claudia said nothing, just stared. She didn't know whether Helena was what she was scared of becoming, or what she wanted to become. She left the room.

**************************************************************

Nikolas' bedroom.

Claudia slipped back into the room and then back into bed. Nikolas stirred.

"Where did you go?," he asked sleepily.

Claudia didn't answer.

"Claudia?"

"Just checking on Spencer," she said, turning away from him.

Nikolas turned toward her, put his arms around her, and drew her closer. "How was he?"

"Fine," she said, feeling like she'd lost something precious she'd never get back. It was the first time she had ever lied to Nikolas.


	15. Chapter 15

Wyndemere. Dining Room.

Nikolas sat across from Claudia and Spencer. Claudia looked like she hadn't slept all night. And she'd been quiet when they were alone together. Not closed off. Just quiet.

Now she was chattering away with Spencer, but if you looked closely, like Nikolas was doing, you could see it was taking some effort for her to look effortlessly interested in the babbling non-sequitors of a three year-old.

Alfred entered the doorway and beckoned to Nikolas. Claudia and Spencer didn't look up as Nikolas followed Alfred out of the room.

Helena's night guard was waiting for him in the hallway.

"How is she?," Nikolas asked.

"The same," the guard answered. "You asked me to tell you if anything unusual happened."

"Yes."

"The woman with the black hair -- the one with the bandage on her wrist -- she came to see Mrs. Cassadine last night."

Nikolas felt a wave of humiliation sweep over him. "What happened?"

"Nothing. She never said anything. Mrs. Cassadine woke up, and asked what she wanted, but she never said anything. The woman just left."

"Thank you," Nikolas dismissed the guard. "That will be all, Alfred," he added.

"Very good, sir," Alfred said, and left.

Nikolas went back into the dining room to be confronted by the bizarre sight of Claudia singing to Spencer. Nikolas watched, unseen.

Claudia sang, "I pirati ballano sul ponte delle navi_/_E le casse scassano_/_Se perdono le chiavi_"_

If that wasn't unbelievable enough, Nikolas' jaw dropped when Spencer climbed off his chair, turned around twice, and sang, "Gira, Gira"_._

"Sì, Spencer! Good!," Claudia said, before continuing with the song, "Gira, Gira per il mar_/_Corri e non fermati Mai_/_Sempre all'erta notte e dì_/_Pirata sei così."

Claudia's voice died off as she saw Nikolas standing in the doorway. "You caught me," she said.

An opening if ever Nikolas heard one. But Spencer was there, so he let it go. "You're teaching him Italian?"

"And to be a pirate," she said sheepishly. "You can deal with Russian. I'll stick to this alphabet."

"You were right about the Mandarin website," he said.

"Yeah," she said. "I had a feeling. I can spot money laundering from a mile away. Hazard of my heritage."

"Gira, Gira," Spencer said insistently, turning around.

"I guess I got him all wound up for the nanny," Claudia said.

"That's what she's paid for."

All morning, Claudia had felt like she was walking through a thick fog. Something about Nikolas' voice sounded strained, and she fought her way through the fog. Nikolas looked a little shaken. She wasn't sure if she'd ever seen him that way. "Are you okay?," she asked.

_You went to my grandmother,_ he thought. _You lied to me. And even though I'm the Master of Suspicion, I didn't see a thing. Do you think I'm okay? _

"Nikolas?"

"I'm fine. Do you want the tech lab file back?"

Claudia shook her head. "I have ... I have something I need to..." She cut herself off. Discussing this would only make her get more emotional and get Nikolas involved. She couldn't afford either. "No. But thank you." She brushed her hand through Spencer's hair, and then left the child's side. "I'm going to the guest house for a little while. I'll be back for an afternoon with The Little Prince." She stood on her toes to kiss Nikolas' cheek. She looked back at Spencer. She had a nagging suspicion that whatever solution she came up with, her child was not going to have a good life like Spencer. She looked up and caught Nikolas watching her with a good deal of curiosity. "That song reminds me of my mother," she said. And then she left.

******************************************

The Guest House.

Claudia could not find a back door out of her problem.

_"Your brother, although I admire and prefer his morality, is in a business where _his_ morality will get _you_ killed,"_ Nikolas had said.

If she disregarded John's wishes and forced Sonny to back down using her Italian connections, there would be no end to this cycle. Wasn't that how all of this began? Sonny thought he was taking revenge, and it had all spiraled to here.

If she stayed on Spoon Island, John would be a barely moving target. And if he wasn't? What would happen once the baby was born?

Being with Nikolas made her forget that there was no way out. Maybe she didn't fantasize about a future when she was with Nikolas and Spencer, but she was definitely not looking at her present realistically. Maybe, _maybe_ if she'd met Nikolas before she'd come to Port Charles, this would have been possible. Probably not.

******************************************

Port Charles Grill.

Alexis hurried to Nikolas' table.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "I'm not used to having all of my daughters under one roof. I don't think I've ever spent so much time apologizing in my life."

"Apologizing?"

"Apparently, I'm a little bossy. Well, a lot bossy. Three children ganging up on you is frightening. You're lucky you only have Spencer. And he's a boy. Much easier."

"I want you to move in with me," Nikolas said abruptly.

"Or not so easy," Alexis said.

"You yourself said that we don't know what your new brother looks like. And we don't know who he's bringing with him. Wouldn't you feel safer with your family at Wyndemere?"

"Nikolas."

"What?"

"Granted, on paper, you may have a point. It would seem logical on paper. But come live in the real world for just a second here. There is no way Kristina is going to stay on the Island. Besides which, even if all three of my children were fine with this, they need to get on and off the Island every day. So do I!"

"It takes 20 minutes to get to town."

Alexis thought about that. She thought about living on the Island. She knew she was probably going to have to concede. Which meant she had to voice one last objection. "If we were to stay with you --"

"You're staying with me. End of discussion."

"If we are to stay with you," Alexis began again, "This is not the end of the discussion. Because unfortunately, we have to discuss your sleeping arrangements."

Alexis had never seen Nikolas shut down so quickly.

"Imagine how comfortable this is for me," she said. "I can't have you sleeping with Claudia when you have impressionable girls under your roof. Especially --"

"Especially because it's Claudia."

"No. No, Nikolas. I'd have this problem with any woman. And especially a married woman. Who is not married to you."

This was a problem. Because aside from the fact that he wanted Claudia in his room, this would also mean that Wyndemere wasn't really Claudia's home. She was already editing herself around Alexis. What would happen when there were three more people to deal with?

If Alexis had an ounce of compassion for Claudia, Nikolas might have confided in her about Claudia's background. But as things stood now, he couldn't do that to Claudia. In the same way that he couldn't tell Claudia that a young Alexis had seen her own mother die at the hands of Helena. He couldn't do that to Alexis.

"Claudia's an adult. Sometimes. I think she'll understand. Can we come to an agreement about this?," Alexis asked.

*******************************************

Wyndemere. Living room.

Claudia was picking up the pieces of the wreckage of her afternoon with Spencer. Nikolas came into the room looking worn out.

"I promise, this will all be gone in five minutes," she said. "Maybe ten."

"I have a problem," he said.

"Okay," she said slowly. He didn't say anything else, so she took a seat on the couch.

He slowly walked over to the couch and sat beside her. "Until we have a handle on Helena's protege, I need to move Alexis and her daughters in here to keep them safe."

"Okay," she said, quietly.

"She won't move in unless --"

"Okay," Claudia said. "I get it."

"She wants us to have separate bedrooms."

"I know." No matter where she ended up, she never was home.

It was as if she'd anticipated it. Her reaction tore at Nikolas. "It doesn't mean -- "

"I think I should move back to the guest house," Claudia said, also calmly and quietly. She needed a place to be hers, just for a little while.

"No," Nikolas said.

"Nikolas. I can't get upset. You understand? I get it. I get that your aunt thinks that us sleeping together under the same roof as her kids is going to make them go wild. I get that Wilma is not going to loosen the bone and let her hair down. I get that I don't have a choice. So I don't want to talk about that part of it. Okay?"

Claudia, despite her best efforts, had gotten increasingly emotional as she went on. Nikolas held her face in his hands. "I don't want this," he said.

"Okay," she said. "But I don't want to deal with what happens when the two of us sneak into each other's rooms -- and you know we will. My head will explode if I can't say anything, and I'm afraid I'll start breaking all sorts of your rules, and I don't want to end up like we did that first day when you moved me here. Okay?"

"All right."

"So if I move back into the guest house, we'll have privacy when we're together, and there's no way I can be on the wrong side of anything if any of the kids happen to be where they shouldn't be." She took a deep breath. "When?"

"Tonight."

"Oh." She looked like she'd had the wind knocked out of her. Then she straightened up.

"Have dinner with us."

_He is insane. Well-meaning, but insane,_ she thought. "No. Thank you. But why don't you come over after Spencer is asleep?"

"As soon as he's asleep," he promised.

******************************************

Wyndemere. Dining room. Evening.

Dinner was pandemonium. Nikolas withdrew further into himself, watching the chaos from outside. He knew he was doing the right by protecting Alexis, but he had definitely done the wrong thing by Claudia. He had a bad feeling about this. And he already missed her.

"Gira, Gira," Spencer sang, slipping out of his chair and turning around twice. It looked like Spencer missed her too.

"Spencer," Nikolas said softly. "Come here."

Spencer climbed up on his father's lap. "Claudee," he said.

"I know," Nikolas said. "I miss her too."

*****************************************

The Guest House. Night.

Claudia flung the front door open before Nikolas was up the walk. She pulled him inside the house and kissed him. They clumsily made their way further into the house. Claudia did not seem to want to part lips with him, and Nikolas couldn't say he minded.

She unbuckled his belt.

"Wait," he said.

"Listen," she said, kissing him again and unbuttoning his pants, "Any minute now, one of your relatives is going to come bursting in here with a hangnail." She started to drag him up the stairs, unbuttoning his shirt, and kissing his neck. "So I think we should get to this portion of the evening as soon as possible. I'm not going to be able to wake you up in the middle of the night to have my way with you anymore, you know."

Nikolas lifted her off her feet and carried her the rest of the way to the bedroom.

*******************************************

The Guest House. Claudia's bedroom. Later.

Wrapped up in each other's arms, Nikolas and Claudia were half-asleep. Claudia forced herself awake. She didn't have this kind of time anymore. She nudged Nikolas.

"Nikolas?"

"Hmmm?"

"I have to tell you something."

"What?"

"It's important. Look at me."

Nikolas opened his eyes. He leaned in and nuzzled her neck.

"I lied to you," she said. "Last night. It's the first time I ever lied to you, and I want to fix it."

Nikolas pulled back and looked her in the eye. This was a first. Someone telling the truth before he confronted her. "What did you lie about?"

"I didn't get up to check on Spencer. I went to see your grandmother. That's it, too. Just to look at her."

"Why?"

Claudia weighed how much to tell him. She decided to give him just enough so that when she finally did what she had to do, he'd understand. "I've been thinking about things," she said. "About the mess I'm in. Your grandmother is the second strong woman I've ever known who's been a family like this, and I just -- I was wondering about her."

"Claudia, if you need a role model, I suggest you find another."

"Well, yeah. I mean, look at her. She's in your basement. But I don't have a lot of examples for predecessors."

"Who was the first?," he asked. "The first strong woman," he clarified.

"My mother."

Nikolas propped himself up on his elbow. "You've never told me about her. Except that she was sent away."

"I know. It's hard for me to talk about her since she's been gone."

"When did she die?"

"My mother's alive."

He let that sink in. "Where is she?"

"Milan," Claudia was silent for a moment. "She was really strong, Nikolas. So she didn't bend. She broke. She was lost before I ever got to Milan. My mother has been in a catatonic state for the last 20 years." He took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. "I didn't know until I got to Italy. I started out with daily visits. For over a year, I went every day. Then weekly. The weekly visits lasted until I came back to the States. There's been no change since I left. But I miss seeing her. My last visit, I --." she broke off. "I had to come here. John was in trouble. But it was hard."

Nikolas brushed the hair out of her eyes. "Laura was catatonic."

"I know," she said.

"How come you never said anything?"

"It never came up. And it's not the sort of thing you introduce casually into conversation. Especially with someone who's somewhat inept with basic interaction," she said, poking him with her free hand. He smiled. She smiled back and pulled her hand from his. "Anyway, I guess if I'm going by the two women who came before me, there's no way to be a strong woman and stay in this life without becoming damaged. That's what I've been thinking about."

"You don't have to stay in that life, Claudia."

She didn't answer, just checked the clock by the bed. "It's late," she said. "You should be heading back."

****************************

When Nikolas arrived at the guest house with the newspaper the next morning, Claudia was gone.


	16. Chapter 16

The Guest House. Morning.

Claudia hadn't shown up for breakfast -- which had happened before, morning sickness being what it is. And when she hadn't answered Nikolas' knock, he wasn't too concerned. That had also happened before.

He let himself in, but before he went upstairs to check on her, he thought he'd check in on her food situation. She'd moved back to the guest house so quickly, he was unsure if she'd arranged for enough supplies. The refrigerator was empty. And he began to have a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

"Claudia!," he called out, coming out of the kitchen. But there was no answer. So he headed up the stairs, his pace increasing with every step. He reached the bedroom. He opened the door. The bed was made. On top of the dresser sat one large package, one small package, and one envelope.

Nikolas dropped the newspaper on the bed. He slowly approached the dresser. The envelope read, "_Nikolas_."

**************************************

GreyStone. Dining Room.

Sonny finished up his breakfast. Claudia had kept her word as far as the business went. She had let all their associates know that she was still in the marriage, just not in the house. Because, she had said, things were heating up and she didn't want to risk the baby's life. So she was staying in a "safe house." _She must have gotten a kick out of that phrase_, Sonny thought.

He took out his cell phone and dialed. "It's me. ... Yeah. ... How are we on getting her off that island?"

"Getting who off what island?," Claudia said from the doorway of the dining room.

**************************************

The Guest House. Claudia's bedroom.

Nikolas opened the envelope. He unfolded the handwritten sheets and read:

_Dear Nikolas,_

_I am so sorry to do this to you. But there's no other way. Right now, the most immediate danger in my world is the threat to John. The longer I stay on Spoon Island, the more I'm risking his life. I can't risk my brother's life. I'd rather die. I told you that the night you met me..._

_****************************************_

Greystone.

"Are you here to negotiate?," Sonny asked.

"I'm here to stay," said Claudia.

****************************************

The Guest House.

Nikolas continued reading the letter.

_... I am so sorry for leaving you like this. But you and I both know that if we'd talked about this, you would have tempted me into staying longer and longer, and I couldn't have that. I hope you know that I have never had anyone like you in my life. And that this has meant more to me than you will ever know. And beyond whatever is between the two of us, I know that if you hadn't taken me in, my baby would be dead right now. Both times I've stayed with you are the only times in my life when I've felt safe..._

_**********************************************_

GreyStone.

"Sorry about this, Claudia," Sonny said.

"I understand."

Max patted Claudia down. "She's clean, boss."

"I'd like to go to my room," she said.

"Max, take her bags upstairs. And check 'em."

**********************************************

The Guest House.

Claudia's letter continued.

_...The two packages I've left behind are for Spencer. The larger one is a toy boat that I thought he might enjoy. Yes, I know, bribery is a horrible, horrible way to win a child over, but I adore your kid, and I've done a terrible thing by getting him to like me and then leaving so abruptly. Which leads me to the second package. _

_I've written a bunch of postcards to Spencer. If you could send him one every once in a while, I think it would ease him into getting used to me being gone. I'd appreciate it. I'd do it myself, but somehow I don't think Sonny is going to want me to have any Cassadine contact from here on out. _

_Thank you for trusting me with your child. There's not another soul on earth who would have done the same. And now, I'm trusting you with my child. Should anything happen to me, I'm going to make sure that my son ends up with you. I'm going to spend the next few months securing his future with you. I know it's a lot to ask, but I'm counting on you knowing what a terrible time I had growing up with a father who hated my mother and, by extension, hated me. I can't let that happen to my kid. When the time comes, my son will be yours. I'm working on that now. _

_I told you last night that there's no way for a strong woman to survive this life. I know you thought that meant that I realized I had to give up the world I come from. What I realized is that I had to give up being a strong woman. Weaker women don't have such a hot survival rate either (I don't know if you knew Sonny's first wife, but if you did, you'll know what I mean), but their chances are better... _

_**********************************************_

GreyStone.

Claudia unpacked her bags. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," she said.

Sonny came in.

"Would you like some lunch?," he asked.

"Sure."

"This will work out, Claudia."

"Okay."

"We can talk about the business after lunch."

"I'm a little tired. I think I'd like to nap. So only if you need me."

Sonny looked a little taken aback, and then nodded. "Good to have you home. I'll have lunch ready in half an hour."

He left.

Claudia stared at the closed door. She put her computer on top of the dresser and patted it.

_********************************************** _

The Guest House.

Nikolas had reached the last page of Claudia's letter.

..._Once you've read this, please destroy it and don't mention it to anyone. If Sonny ever found out about this letter, he'd have me watched like a hawk, and then I'd never be able to get my kid to you. Nothing can appear out of the ordinary now._

_We're not going to be able to talk. Keep your distance when you see me. I don't want you to have another target on your back. You've got plenty for now without any contributions from my world._

_I know this is going to drive you crazy. But right now, my priorities are my brother and my kid. You did everything you could to help me. I'll never forget that. And I'll always be in your debt. There's just no way out for me without risking my brother's life or my kid's life. Please be careful. _

_Claudia_

Nikolas folded the letter, returned it to its envelope, and put the envelope in his pocket. He took out his cell phone and dialed. "I want a list of everyone who has come to the Island in the past week," he said.

He closed his phone, picked up the two packages, and left.

**********************************************

Wyndemere. Study.

Nikolas came into the empty room.

He hid the package of postcards in the back of his desk drawer. He pulled a large ashtray from the mantle. He took a lighter from his desk. He set Claudia's letter on fire and tossed it into the ashtray.

_Nothing can appear out of the ordinary now._

Well, then, apologies to Claudia, but he had to pay her one last visit.

The door to the study opened. Alexis came in with Spencer.

"Someone was lonely for you," she said.

She put Spencer down on the floor and he toddled over to Nikolas, holding the tiny fire truck that Claudia had given him.

_No time like the present,_ Nikolas thought. "Spencer," he said. "Claudia had to go away. On a little trip -- like we took to Greece."

"Γειά," Spencer said. _Hello._

"Yes, Γειά," Nikolas said. "But look!" Nikolas brought out the big package. "Claudia left you a present!"

Spencer's mouth formed a perfect "O" shape. He dropped the fire truck and reached for the box.

"Let me help you with that," Nikolas said, putting the package on the floor and ripping the wrapping paper from the box.

Alexis picked up the toy firetruck.

Nikolas and Spencer opened the box. A hand-painted toy boat was inside, much larger, more colorful and more sturdy than the firetruck. It was, in fact, a boat for a child of Spencer's size to play _in_. When it was set on the ground. Spencer climbed inside. It rocked as he moved back and forth on it.

Alexis turned the firetruck over in her hands. "Wow," she said. "This is a Giacchi."

Spencer squealed. Nikolas' heart sank. Claudia would have loved to see this. He forced his attention to Alexis. "What?," he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "It's just this is a pretty valuable antique. Are you sure you want Spencer playing with it? He might want to save it for when he's older."

"Toys are meant to be played with," Nikolas said.

"Right," said Alexis. "But if he breaks this one, he can't get another. All Giacchi's are one-of-a-kind."

Nikolas got a gleam in his eye. He took the toy from Alexis and pocketed it. "You're right," he said. "And it looks like he's got a new toy to distract him."

"So Claudia's gone?," Alexis asked.

"Claudee!," said Spencer.

Great. "Can we discuss this another time?," asked Nikolas.

****************************************************

GreyStone. Living room. Afternoon.

Lunch had been quiet, but not tense.

"You going to bed?"

"In a minute," Claudia said. She searched Sonny's desk drawers. She pulled out a book of crossword puzzles. "Thanks for keeping them."

"I wanted them waiting for you for when you came home," Sonny said.

"Thanks." Claudia began to make her way to the stairs. She passed the photos of Sonny's children and thought to herself, _Shot. Kidnapped. Terrorized. _She realized Sonny was watching her. She looked up and smiled at him.

There was a commotion outside the living room door. Suddenly the door opened, and Nikolas burst in.

"Sorry, boss," Max said. "I'll take care of this." He reached for Nikolas' arm, but Nikolas shrugged him off.

"You didn't say good-bye," Nikolas said to Claudia.

"Oh, come on, Nikolas," Sonny said. "Do you need a map?"

"You didn't say good-bye to Spencer," Nikolas said.

"I'm sorry," she said. "This is the way it has to be."

"Please don't do this," Nikolas said. "Come home."

"I am home," she said.

"You heard her, Cassadine. She's home. Now why don't you go home?," Sonny said.

Nikolas stared at Claudia. She looked away from him.

"You're a fool," Nikolas said to her. "I'm finished with you."

And he left.

*****************************************************

Johnny's Garage.

Johnny had his head under a hood when he heard the door to the garage click shut. The door had been locked. He cautiously peered out from underneath the hood.

Nikolas Cassadine was standing at his door.

"I need to talk to you," said Nikolas.

Johnny threw a wrench into his toolbox. "You said enough last week."

"I don't think I did," Nikolas said. "You visited Claudia the other night. What did you say?"

"That's none of your business."

"Claudia's back with Sonny."

"She's _what?_"

"What did you say?"

"I told her to find me a way out this mess that didn't include violence."

"And aside from putting her own life on the line, what do think her options were?"

Johnny slammed the toolbox shut and stormed toward the door.

"Where do you think you're going?," said Nikolas.

"To Sonny's."

"You've done enough damage," Nikolas said. "I've now seen Claudia save your life twice, Johnny. I haven't seen much coming from you. So you're going to wait. You're going to keep your mouth shut. You're going to wait for word from me. And the next time you go against my wishes, I will put you some place where you can't do any damage to Claudia or yourself. Believe that."

Nikolas left the garage.

*****************************************************

GreyStone. Evening.

Sonny checked over his ledger. Jason came in.

"Hey. She's back?," he asked.

"Yeah. Upstairs."

"What do we do now?"

"We wait for the baby to be born."

*****************************************************

Cassadine Jet. Night.

Nikolas buckled Spencer into his seat.

The co-pilot came out. "Almost ready for take-off, Mr. Cassadine."

"Very good," Nikolas said. The co-pilot went into the cockpit. Nikolas turned to Spencer. "Gira, Gira, Spencer."

"Gira, Gira," Spencer said before yawning.

"That's right. Sleep tight," Nikolas covered Spencer with a blanket. "You're on your way to Italy."

The plane began to taxi down the runway.


	17. Chapter 17

GreyStone. Morning.

Claudia was up in her bedroom again.

She'd gone out early that morning. Sonny had had one of his men tail her, but the guard had reported back that Claudia had simply walked around the park three times, rested for a few minutes and then walked back home.

While she was gone, Jason had had Spinelli check her computer. There was nothing on it but downloads of Frank Sinatra and a history of a search into some Chinese company. He'd have to find out what that was about.

Sonny knocked on Claudia's door.

"Come in," she said.

He opened the door. She was on her bed, reading a book.

"You all right?"

"Yeah," she said. When he went to leave, she said, "I went for a walk because I need light exercise. For the baby. It'll probably be safer for me if your man walks with me from now on. Instead of twenty feet behind."

"Just keeping an eye on you, Claudia."

"I know. But it took me five minutes to figure out it was one of your people. I was about to try to lose him. Might as well make this easier on everybody."

Sonny didn't say anything, just stared at her. Then he left the room and closed the door. Claudia was up to something. He was going to find out what that was. He checked his watch. Time to leave for his morning meetings. Claudia would have to wait.

**************************************

Somewhere outside of Milan. Chiarelli Compound. Evening.

Nikolas had never quite been in this position before. He was being patted down in front of his three year-old.

"It's just a game, Spencer," Nikolas said. "You can pat me, too, if you'd like."

The Chiarelli guard finished patting down Nikolas. Spencer toddled over and patted Nikolas' leg a few times. Nikolas ruffled Spencer's hair.

The guard left, and returned a few moments later with more guards and an older, stocky, grey-haired gentleman.

"Mr. Cassadine?," the gentleman said. "I am Rudolfo Chiarelli. You wished to speak to me? Come."

Nikolas picked up Spencer and followed Uncle Rudy into a large ornate office. All of the guards followed.

Nikolas looked around the room. Portraits everywhere. Jesus on a cross. Madonna and child. And a mantle with photos, including one of --

"Claudee!"

"That's right, Spencer. Claudia used to live here." He looked apologetically at Uncle Rudy. "I'm a friend of Claudia's. She and my son are fond of one another."

Spencer began to struggle in Nikolas' arms, and Nikolas put him down.

"I pirati ... ballano ... sul ponte ... delle ... delle navi_,_"sang Spencer, tripping over the words. Then he stopped, having lost the words.

"She had just started him on that one. He's a little uncertain of the words."

"E le casse scassano_," _sang one of the guards.

"Se perdono le chiavi," the rest of the guards joined in.

"Gira, Gira!," said Spencer, turning around twice and then stopping.

Nikolas explained, "I think he only learned the song so he could turn."

One of the guards knelt down to Spencer, "Buono!" _Good._

"Dove è Claudee?," Spencer asked the guard. _Where is Claudee?_

"Yes," Uncle Rudy said to Nikolas. "Where is Claudia?"

"May we speak privately?," Nikolas said to Uncle Rudy.

Uncle Rudy studied Nikolas carefully, and then turned to the guards. "Prendete il ragazzo al di fuori a giocare." _Take the boy outside to play. _ He turned to Nikolas, "This is okay?"

Nikolas nodded.

The guards left with Spencer.

"I thought you didn't speak English," Nikolas said.

"While Claudia was growing up, I did not," Rudy replied. "But as our business -- how do you say? -- _expanded_, Claudia felt it would be best if I learned. Please. Sit." Uncle Rudy took a seat behind the desk, and gestured for Nikolas to sit down across from him. Nikolas sat down. "I take it you are not here to show me the singing skills of your son," Rudy said.

"No," said Nikolas. "Claudia is in trouble. And I need your help."

*************************************************

GreyStone. Noon.

Sonny and Dominic came home from the morning meetings to a delicious smell. Someone was in Sonny's kitchen.

Sonny rushed through the dining room into the kitchen. Dominic followed. Claudia was holding out a ladle of sauce for Max to taste.

"Careful of that sauce, Max," Sonny said.

Claudia pulled the ladle away from Max and tasted it herself. "It's fine," she said. "But you should really call it 'gravy.'"

"Yeah," said Max.

"That's right," said Dominic.

Sonny pointed to Max. "You. Come with me." He pointed to Dominic. "You. Stay."

Max and Sonny left. Probably to discuss her. Claudia looked over at Dominic. "How's your palate?," she asked. "My taste buds are a little off from the pregnancy," she explained.

He came over, and out of the corner of her eye, Claudia saw something by the cuff of his pants. Interesting.

Out in the dining room, Max was explaining himself to Sonny. "She always cleans up after herself. And her taste buds don't work the same. Since she's with child."

"Listen to me," said Sonny. "All I'm saying is be careful. Don't taste anything you don't see her try first."

Claudia entered the room. "I think I've got it now," she said to Max. "Try it one last time." She turned to Sonny. "Dominic was watching me the whole time."

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead," he said to Max. Max went into the kitchen.

Claudia drew closer to Sonny and whispered in his ear, "Dominic is wearing a wire. One of yours?"

Sonny's face turned burgundy. He ran into the kitchen.

Now this was a distraction she hadn't even created. This was a gift from the gods. Claudia smiled. She rubbed her belly. _Hang in there, kid, _she thought._ I'm going to get you to Nik._

*********************************************

Uncle Rudy's office.

"He has no regard for the mother of his child?"

"Unfortunately, Mr. Chiarelli, I'm afraid Mr. Corinthos sees Claudia as an incubator."

Uncle Rudy did not respond for awhile. And then, "If we are to follow your plan, and it works, there is no guarantee that Claudia would be safe later on. Once Anthony is released from prison, he will want to take custody of his grandson. By any means."

Nikolas flushed with anger. "That won't happen. Claudia and her son will be safe with me."

Uncle Rudy looked at Nikolas with understanding, and a little pity. "Love," he said to Nikolas, "is a dangerous thing. Love kills."

"Yes, I've heard Claudia say the same. And look where not loving has gotten her," Nikolas said.

"You think our ways are strange and wrong."

"I don't know. Most people think I'm odd, so I can't comment on that. And Claudia came out of your way of life and she's the smartest person I know. She may even be smarter than I am. But I don't envy her life. And I think she deserves more."

Uncle Rudy silently considered this. "If your plan does not work, I will have to resort to our usual methods."

"I know."

"It would be helpful if we could let Claudia know that there is a plan."

"I have a way of doing that," Nikolas said. "Does Sonny Corinthos know you speak English?"

"He thinks I can stumble around in it."

"Does he realize that you know he understands Italian?"

Uncle Rudy leaned forward as if he were a professor dropping gems to an eager student. "It's always best to appear less skilled and knowledgeable while you get the lay of the land. That is how you say, no? Lay of the land?"

"Yes," Nikolas said.

"As far as I know, Mr. Corinthos is unaware of the scope of my knowledge."

There was a knock on the office door and a woman in a suit entered. She handed a file to Uncle Rudy and left.

Uncle Rudy passed the file to Nikolas. "This is a copy of what you asked for. Be discreet."

"Thank you," said Nikolas. "I will." It was almost time to go. "You need to know two things: one, Sonny Corinthos is a very suspicious man. And two, he isn't as smart as he thinks he is."

Nikolas continued with the rest of the plan.

*********************************************

Greystone. Living room.

"What is this?! Huh?! What is this?!"

A battle was raging in the kitchen. The sounds made their way through two sets of walls. Claudia would have given anything to see it. But instead she was on the couch with her feet up.

Claudia wasn't sure if she had any virtues, but if she did, patience wasn't among them. It was almost physically painful for her to be not doing anything. But she needed to wait.

She heard muted voices outside the living room door and then Olivia came into the living room, wearing her usual combination of Smug and Disdain.

"He's in the kitchen," Claudia said. _Might as well see your loverboy in all his Mobbed up glory, _she thought.

Olivia didn't say a word, just headed into the kitchen. And in five, four, three, two...

"Sonny! No!"

"Stay out of this, Olivia! Get her out of here!"

"Sonny, please!"

"I know how this looks, but you don't know what he is!"

"He's my son! He's _your_ son!"

Wow. Sonny really was the Johnny Appleseed of Port Charles. Too rich! Claudia was never going to have to worry about creating a distraction again.

Claudia was about zoom into the stratosphere when she felt a twinge. "Oh," she said to her belly. "Too much excitement for you? Okay." She got up off the couch. "Let's go upstairs and do a crossword puzzle." She started climbing the stairs, still talking to the belly. "Once you pop out, you better not be this much of a killjoy." She groaned as something else occurred to her. "My gravy is probably ruined..."

***********************************************

Cassadine Jet.

Spencer watched a dvd from his seat.

Nikolas cracked open the file Uncle Rudy had given him. It was all here. He just hoped something could be done. Nikolas closed the file again.

Next stop: France.


	18. Chapter 18

GreyStone. Claudia's bedroom. Night.

Claudia gathered the spare pillow in her arms and hugged it.

She tried to imagine Spencer opening up the box with the toy boat inside it. For some reason, every time she tried to do it, she could never quite get to the moment where Spencer was delighted with his present. Instead, he was upset. He didn't understand why she left. He didn't want her present. She remembered John smashing the toy piano she'd given him, right before she'd left him as a child. She was grateful the boat was too sturdy for that.

And then there was Nikolas. Nikolas, who had been left as an infant by his mother. With just an old Atlas. Nikolas probably really did hate her.

She'd wanted her last memory of Nikolas to be the last night they'd spent together. He'd taken that away from her. She probably deserved it. She didn't mind him calling her a fool. But when he said he was finished with her, _that_ had cut. Of course, it was most likely for the best; Sonny had been there, and now he'd leave Nikolas alone. Part of her hoped that that had been Nikolas' intention, that it had all been for show, but he'd looked dead serious when he said it, and she was a realist.

One thing Nikolas hadn't done, however, was ruin her chances of getting her child to him. Which was as good as him agreeing to take her son, as far as she was concerned.

She needed to settle down. Get some sleep. There was a lot to do, and it all began tomorrow, thanks to Sonny's surprise progeny.

Claudia had lived her life by the Code. She was going to die by the Code. But as far as she was concerned, there was nothing in the rule book about following the Code from the grave.

*********************************************

A Small Cottage in the South of France.

Nikolas carried Spencer up the path to the front door. His son was exhausted. Not meant for such heavy international travel at such a young age. But he'd be happy when he woke up later.

Nikolas knocked on the door, checking his watch. It was very early. Probably too early. Maybe he should find a hotel and --

The door opened.

"Nikolas!," said Laura, breaking into a beaming smile. She hugged her son and grandson as hard as she could. She stepped back, tears shining on her cheeks. "What are you doing here?"

"I need you," said Nikolas.

Laura swung the door open and stepped aside to let them in. "Of course," she said. "Come in."

*********************************************

GreyStone. Claudia's bedroom.

Claudia was awakened from a sound sleep by a persistent knocking at her door, and Sonny saying her name over and over again.

She rubbed her eyes. "What?"

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Sonny came in. He didn't say anything, just sat on the edge of her bed.

Claudia waited for a full minute and then slumped back down on the bed, saying, "I'm going to rest here until you're ready. Very tired. Pregnant."

She closed her eyes.

"Did you know?"

Claudia opened her eyes again. "Know what?"

"Don't play dumb with me," Sonny warned.

Claudia guessed she'd better fully wake up. Had to be something that just happened, right? Or maybe it was something he just found out. She'd been so duplicitous with Sonny, it was hard to guess what exactly he was talking about. She'd start with the easiest possibility. "Is this about Dominic?," she said, her voice cracking from disuse.

"His name is Dante."

"Okay," she said. "Is this about Dante?"

"Did you know he was a Fed?"

Now Claudia was fully awake. "A Fed? Are you sure? He's been working for my Uncle Rudy. Have you told Rudy?"

"Not my biggest priority, Claudia."

"Well, it should be. If he's a Fed, he could bring down the Italian arm of the organization."

Sonny was silent.

Claudia reached for the phone. Sonny grabbed her hand and pulled it back.

"What?," she said.

Sonny slipped his hand underneath the back of her neck and pulled her toward him. He kissed her. Claudia didn't respond. Her eyes remained open. She looked surprised at first, and then puzzled. After a minute of no response, Sonny pulled back.

"What's wrong with you?," he asked.

"Nothing," she said nervously.

He stared at her. Then he left the room.

Half-dazed, Claudia picked up the phone and dialed Uncle Rudy. No answer. She went to put the phone back in its cradle and missed. She got it on the second try.

She sat back against the headboard trying to figure out what had just happened. Correction: what hadn't just happened. What was _that _about? This had never happened to her before. No matter what, no matter where, no matter when, no matter who, her body had always responded. Well, okay, maybe not with Trevor, but then again, she was sixteen and he was Trevor, so that was understandable.

Two nights ago, when she had been with -- Great. _Now_ her body was responding. What had Nikolas done to her? And what did this mean? She had so little time left, and now it was going to be spent celibate?

Claudia cursed Nikolas under her breath. He was making her body betray her. With those lips. And that chest. And, and, and...

She got up, went into the bathroom, and took a cold shower.

*****************************************************

Laura's cottage. Living room.

Laura poured tea into her cup and Nikolas' cup while Spencer napped in the bedroom.

"So she's Sonny's wife," she said.

"Yes."

"And Sonny is going to kill her."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you that."

Laura tried to put the pieces together. "She's Johnny's sister."

"Yes."

"That's the boy who ran away with Lulu."

"Yes."

"And who exactly is she to you?"

And with that, a world of tension leapt into Nikolas' body.

"Nikolas?"

"She's done some terrible things."

"Okay."

"She's probably the darkest person I know. She's such a skillful liar that I've seen her fool a judge and jury. She's dangerous. She makes bad, impulsive decisions. She's mostly unapologetic. She lives outside the law. She's violent."

"And?"

"She's the only person who's never lied to me. She makes me laugh. She makes my son happy. She's never had a chance at any kind of normal life. She doesn't think a happy life is possible for her, but she has no self-pity. She protects the people she loves with her life. When Helena tried to slit her throat, she shot Helena."

Laura laughed, in spite of herself.

Nikolas continued. "She makes five-star meals like she's frying an egg. She loves crossword puzzles because when she was young, her family exiled her to Italy and that was her way of keeping the English language with her. She's more fit than I am. She taught Spencer how to speak Italian, and turned him from a little boy who said 'no' to everything into a singing, dancing, laughing child. She calls Spencer 'The Little Prince,' she calls my house 'Spoondymere,' and she calls me 'Batman.' She makes me tell her things I've never talked to anyone about. And she tells me things she's never told anyone. And she's going to die unless I help her."

"And you love her."

"She's not the kind of person I love."

"You mean she's not like Emily."

"No, she's not."

"But you're in love with her."

Nikolas was silent a very long time. "Yes."

Laura nodded. "Is she in love with you?"

"Claudia says she'll never love anyone."

"Is she in love with you?"

"Yes."

"Does she know it?"

"Not yet."

Laura nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"Claudia left me a note. She's trying to arrange things so that when she's killed, I'll get custody of her baby."

"Okay. Where do I come in?"

"Claudia won't let me talk to her. She thinks it will put me in Sonny's crosshairs. I'm putting together a plan to get Claudia out of there before Sonny and Jason can do anything to her. Or her brother. But I think I'm going to need for Claudia's arrangements --"

"The arrangements for you to get custody?"

"Yes. I'll need those in place before I make my move. And I can't ask her where she is in the process."

"And you came all the way to France to get your mother to travel back to do this?"

"I can't trust anyone else. And Sonny likes you. He won't suspect anything."

"You couldn't ask Lucky?"

"Lucky hates her. And Sonny would never let him in the house."

"Lulu?"

"Lulu hates her even more."

Laura was quiet. She was afraid to find out who else hated this woman.

Nikolas spoke. "If it's going to make you miss your treatments, I don't want you doing this."

"I won't miss any treatments."

"If you don't want to do it, I'll be all right. I'll find another way. But I'll need for you not to mention this to anyone."

"I'll do it."

"You will?"

"Of course. Nikolas."

"Yes?"

"Love doesn't always come the way we expect it to. It doesn't even come the way we want it to. The important part is that it's there." Laura kissed Nikolas' forehead. "I'm happy for you."

"You're the only one," he said.

Laura sighed, and then backtracked. "Batman?"

"Rich man in a gothic mansion with a butler named Alfred," Nikolas said, shaking his head.

Laura laughed.

******************************************

Laura's villa. Later.

Laura sat with Spencer on the floor.

"Your daddy will be back soon, Spencer. I can't believe how big you've gotten. And I hear you're speaking Italian now."

Spencer picked a handful of Cheerios out of a baggie and ate them. Some dropped on the floor.

"A shirdy dame," he said.

Laura laughed. "I remember that. Prinderella slopped her dripper, I think. Where did you learn that?"

"Claudee."

Laura tried to imagine the woman Nikolas described shooting Helena telling Spencer the story of "Prinderella." She understood why Nikolas was in so much trouble.

"Gramma?"

"Yes?"

"Come home."

"I will, Spencer."

Spencer looked satisfied.

*******************************************

The Roux Clinic, South of France.

Nikolas had waited in the doctor's office for twenty minutes.

Dr. Girard finally entered carrying the file Nikolas had brought from Italy.

"Mr. Cassadine," Dr. Girard said. "So sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Not at all," Nikolas said. "What have you found?"

Dr. Girard handed the file back to Nikolas. Nikolas' heart sank. "There were a number of factors that helped along your mother's responsiveness to L-49. The circumstances leading up to her break, the length of her catatonic state, and so forth. Mrs. Zacchara is not a good candidate. From past trials, we know that patients with her medical history respond adversely to the treatment."

"Adversely?," Nikolas said. He couldn't imagine what that would be.

"The drug speeds up physical deterioration in cases where the mind is not engaged. We haven't been able to determine why, but we will not risk the patient's survival when the potential benefits are historically non-existent."

Nikolas tucked the folder under his arm and stood up. "Thank you for your time," he said.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful," said the doctor.

Nikolas nodded. At least Claudia would never know there had been a possibility.

It was time to go back to Port Charles.


	19. Chapter 19

GreyStone. Morning.

There had been no more surprise visits from Sonny.

Claudia had slept in; it had taken her a very long time to fall asleep, so she'd let her body take control this morning and get as much rest as it needed. But now she was starving. She got out of bed and looked in the mirror. It was a little shocking. Her hair was a mess, her body was swollen, and she looked tired. She was headed for the bathroom when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. What did she care? So she looked ragged. It wasn't as if anyone was really going to see her. And if they did? So what? After last night, she certainly wasn't going to be seducing Sonny anymore.

She grabbed a robe from the closet, put her hair in a ponytail, and gave one last look in the mirror. And she had to laugh. She looked like a parody of a housewife in a television commercial.

She left her room and started down the stairs. Only to find Olivia and Sonny on the couch.

"I spent years trying to keep him away from this life, Sonny. I couldn't tell you." Olivia reached out to touch Sonny, and Sonny pulled away from her. Olivia looked up at Claudia on the stairs, and then back at Sonny. "Does she have to be here for this?"

Claudia silently finished coming down the stairs and went into the kitchen. _Does she have to be here for this? _She pulled some pans down and started gathering ingredients from the refrigerator. Claudia would bet anything that Sonny hadn't even tried to contact Uncle Rudy. Claudia began mixing omelette ingredients in a bowl. Sonny would rather wallow than save his business -- or even his life. There wasn't going to be anything left for John by the time Sonny was through. She poured the mix into the pan, went back to the refrigerator and poured herself a large glass of milk. She was starting to have a horrible feeling that everything she was planning for her child was going to backfire too.

She finished making the omelette, and set her meal on a tray. Her stomach grumbled. "All right, all right, almost there," she said.

She came back out into the living room with the tray, and started up the stairs.

"Not only -- not _only_ did you keep my son from me -- he was sent here to put me away," Sonny said, in a heated tone.

Olivia stroked Sonny's face. "Sonny, please. I'm asking you, as your friend --"

A voice rang out from the living room doorway. "Claudia. Sono sicuro che questo non è tuo marito sul divano con un'altra donna." _I am sure that this is not your husband on the couch with another woman. _

Claudia turned to the door, dropping her tray. Uncle Rudy.

Uncle Rudy laughed. "Ciao, Claudia." He turned to Sonny, laughing an almost too-hearty laugh. "Sonny." Claudia hurried over to Uncle Rudy and kissed him on the cheek. Sonny might be fooled, but Claudia knew Uncle Rudy was no jolly Santa Claus type. Uncle Rudy also preferred Sonny to not know that he was fluent in English. And he pretended not to know that Sonny understood Italian.

"Ho provato a chiamare l'ultima notte," Claudia said. _I tried to call last night._

"Sono lieto di vedere che si torna a casa." _I am glad to see you back home._

"Questo è il luogo dove io appartengo." _ It's where I belong_. "Rudy. Domenico è un agente federale." _Dominic is a federal agent._

Uncle Rudy's eyes narrowed. This was not expected.

"Sonny, you tell her to shut up about my son," Olivia said.

Uncle Rudy turned to Claudia. "'Shut up?' Che cosa è questo? " _What is this?_

"This is a family discussion," Sonny said. "Fam-i-ly," he repeated, as if Uncle Rudy was an illiterate.

"Sì." Uncle Rudy said. "Famiglia." He patted Claudia's belly meaningfully. He looked Claudia in the eye, and said in a stage whisper, "Dobbiamo parlare in privato." _We must talk in private._

Sonny sprang into action. He stood up, saying to Olivia, "I can't talk about this right now."

"But --"

Sonny whispered to Olivia, "I'll be by later." He looked at Olivia meaningfully.

Olivia left, shooting Claudia a death glare. Uncle Rudy looked at Claudia, raising an eyebrow.

"What can I do for you, Rudy?," Sonny said exceedingly slowly.

*********************************

District Attorney's office.

Alexis handed off a file to the A.D.A. The A.D.A. brushed past Sam, who was on her way into the office.

"Hey," Sam said. "Got a minute?"

"Sure," Alexis said. "It's not as if I'm actually getting anywhere with anything today."

Sam sat down across from Alexis. "I can't find Nikolas."

"I was afraid of that."

"It's like he's erased all of his fight plans."

"Well, hopefully, if we can't find him, no one else can."

"Any luck on my new uncle?"

Alexis got a sour look on her face.

"What?," asked Sam.

"I wish I had a button."

"A button?"

"A set of buttons. On my arm. In little row. Defect buttons. So I could choose my defects as I needed them. Then if, for some reason, I needed to hyperventilate, I could push the yellow button. Bad lovelife instincts, red button."

Sam nodded slowly, looking at Alexis as if she were nuts. "What button are you looking for now?"

"The murderous, conniving, knife-wielding, warped sense of family one. The Helena one."

"You want to be Helena."

"Just for a second. To get inside her head. Bad idea?"

Sam played along. "I can see where that would help you right now. With figuring out where my uncle is."

"Thank you."

"But Helena likes being Helena. You would never be able to push another button to get you out of there. You know -- the Anything But Helena button."

Alexis frowned. "Huh. I somehow missed that glitch when I was thinking this up."

"Then I'm glad I got here before you got too far into it."

Alexis took off her glasses and tilted her head.

"What?," said Sam.

"My idea was sound. I just had the execution wrong," said Alexis.

*********************************

GreyStone.

"You can -- how do you say? -- prepare another colazione --"

"Breakfast," muttered Claudia.

"Breakfast," Uncle Rudy said, slowly and deliberately, as if committing the word to memory. "Breakfast for Claudia," he said to Sonny. "Prepare another breakfast for Claudia."

"Max!," Sonny shouted.

Max came into the room. "Yeah, boss?"

"Make a breakfast for Claudia." He gestured to the dropped tray. "And get that taken care of."

"Yeah, boss."

Max left the room. Uncle Rudy stood, waiting. Sonny waited. Claudia sat down on the couch. Uncle Rudy sat down next to her. Sonny sat down in the chair.

Uncle Rudy looked at Claudia, outwardly smiling, and inwardly fuming. _This_ is what had become of Claudia Zacchara? Rudy had helplessly watched the deterioration of Claudia's mother Domenica. If this Corinthos marriage was Anthony's idea of a private joke, the joke was about to be over.

"Perché fai colazione così tardi? ," Uncle Rudy asked to Claudia. _Why do you eat breakfast so late?_

"I slept in. Ho dormito tardi. Because of the baby."

Uncle Rudy beamed. "I pirati ballano sul ponte delle navi," Uncle Rudy sang.

Claudia smiled indulgently, wondering what was going on. She wondered whether Uncle Rudy had lost his mind in the year and a half she'd been away.

"Oo," said Uncle Rudy. "I almost forget. I have something -- if you promise to, uh, stay out of hospital until the baby comes." Claudia nodded. Uncle Rudy reached into his pocket. "Un regalo per il bambino. " _A present for the baby. _He pulled out the Giacchi.

Claudia's breath caught. She stared and then slowly, dazed, reached for the toy. "This is one-of-a-kind," she said.

"Sì," said Uncle Rudy.

And she'd given it to Spencer. The world tilted on its axis.

"Tutto andrà tutto bene. Per voi e il bambino," Uncle Rudy said, patting Claudia's arm. _Everything will be all right. For you and the baby._

"Can I see that?," Sonny asked. Claudia mutely handed the toy to him.

Nikolas been to see Uncle Rudy. She hadn't lost Nikolas at all. Nikolas was working with Uncle Rudy. Claudia was in a whole other kind of trouble. She now knew she was in love.

She was supposed to say something. Luckily, it was exactly what she wanted to say. She looked into Uncle Rudy's eyes. "Thank you," she breathed. He nodded.

*********************************

GreyStone.

After Uncle Rudy had gone (back to Italy, with assurances from Sonny that he would be kept apprised of the Dominic situation), Claudia's mind was racing in several directions at once.

Had Sonny noticed something was wrong with her? Uncle Rudy didn't look too alarmed at her behavior, but the man was a master thespian. She'd seen other people in love and hoped she wasn't glowing or looking like she'd been knocked in the head by a two-by-four.

As the afternoon wore on, she was having trouble figuring out how to start with her own plans. On the one hand, Sonny was suddenly being solicitous. On the other hand, Sonny was now watching her like a hawk, and she hadn't figured out a safe hiding place for everything she needed to gather.

Sonny and Rudy had discussed some business, and they decided it would be best for Claudia to check over some things. With Spinelli. Sonny might not have a clue about information storage, but Spinelli was sure to know what was going on the second he saw Claudia's jewelry.

She poured herself a glass of water and sat down on Sonny's desk, watching him work. Didn't he have some place to be? Wasn't he supposed to head over to Olivia's? This figured. She finally _wants_ him to go see Olivia, and now she's stuck with him at home.

She idly picked up his desk pen. It was large. Lots of room.

"What are you doing with my pen?," Sonny said.

"Nothing," she said. "It looks like a good crossword puzzle pen."

"You have plenty of pens. This goes with the desk set," he said, taking the pen and putting it back in its place.

The living room door opened and Alexis entered, looking harried. Claudia and Sonny looked up at her.

"Alexis? Is something wrong with Kristina?," Sonny asked.

"What? No. No, it's not Kristina. Actually, I need to talk to your wife," Alexis said.

"Why?," Sonny asked, with a great deal of suspicion.

"I need to pick her brain."

"Why would she need to talk to you, Claudia?," Sonny asked. He'd suspected Nikolas wasn't through with Claudia. He didn't think Alexis would be a messenger -- the idea of Claudia and Nikolas must turn her stomach -- but those Cassadines had a family loyalty that made them do unexpected things.

"I don't know," Claudia said. If this was Nikolas' way of being discreet, he had a lot to learn. Two visits in one day was going to get Sonny's radar going.

"It's about Helena," Alexis said.

"Helena? Helena Cassadine?," Sonny said.

"Yes," said Alexis. "And that's how I feel about her: 'What? You again?' When I'm not living in mortal terror." She stopped the wisecracks long enough to turn to Sonny and say, "Thanks for Spinelli and Jason the other night, by the way."

Jason had mentioned something about Luke, but he'd never said anything about Helena. "You're welcome," Sonny said. "I would've sent them sooner if I'd known it was about Helena. Or Luke. No one ever told me they were looking for Luke," he said, looking pointedly at Claudia.

"The phones were tapped," Alexis said. "May I?" She gestured to Claudia.

"Sure," said Sonny, sitting down in a chair to watch the whole thing.

Alexis sat down on the couch. After a moment, Claudia followed.

"So this is about my brother," Alexis began.

"Yeah," said Claudia.

"This is about Stefan? Or is this about Stavros?," said Sonny.

"This is another brother," Claudia said.

"Right," said Alexis, looking from Sonny to Claudia. They obviously didn't talk much. _Dinner must be a laugh riot around here,_ she thought. "You think he's the youngest brother?"

Claudia was quiet for a moment. She didn't understand what Nikolas wanted from her. This was a stupid way to get the information from her. But then she thought of Spencer and Nikolas, and she had no choice. "I think he was born in 1965. The year the painting was first moved. I think he didn't know he was a Cassadine. I think at that point, Helena was keeping tabs on him to make sure that Stavros assumed his rightful place with no interference. She didn't want this boy to know he was a Cassadine. And if he'd known, she would have eliminated him. It was only after you and Nikolas changed the line of succession that Helena changed her game plan. This is just what I think."

"I understand. What else do you think?," Alexis asked.

"Well, I think he's dangerous. If he's going along with Helena, he either wants the power for himself, or..." Claudia looked right at Alexis. "She had Lucky brainwashed, right?"

"Right," said Alexis. "Right."

"That's all I have, Alexis. And it's just guesswork."

"I realize that. Thank you. This was helpful. Nikolas is out of the country with Spencer and I haven't heard from him." Claudia's heart picked up speed and she worked hard to keep her face impassive, catching up to Alexis' babbling just in time. "... so there's nobody else I could go to. And you're..." Alexis stopped herself.

"That's okay," said Claudia, finishing Alexis' thought, "I'm the Zacchara version of Helena."

"Without the knives."

Where were Nikolas and Spencer? Obviously, they had been to Italy, but why weren't they back by now? Why would Nikolas take Spencer with him? Claudia began to panic at the thought of them in Russia.

"Claudia." Sonny called her attention back to the conversation. "Alexis is leaving."

"Sorry," said Claudia, covering. "The baby kicked."

Alexis nodded and left the room, leaving Claudia and Sonny alone.

"That was a good thing you did, helping Luke Spencer," Sonny said.

"Thank you." _Where was Nikolas?_

"Let me make you dinner."

"That's my reward? You make me dinner every night."

"Well, okay, what do you want?"

_Careful, Claudia. _ "A nursery. For the baby."

"You're gonna get a nursery anyway. For the baby. What do you want for you?"

_Keep it light._ "I want... your pen."

"You want my pen?"

"Yeah. A real pen. For my crosswords."

Sonny picked up the pen and turned it over and over in his hand. Then he shrugged and handed it to her. "You got it."

"Just don't tell Luke Spencer what his life is worth," she said.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour."

"Okay," she said.

***********************************************

GreyStone. Claudia's bedroom.

Sonny was busy with dinner. This had to be quick.

Claudia unscrewed the top of the pen. She replaced its ink refill with a smaller one, and put the larger original one in her purse.

_Maybe Nikolas isn't in Russia. _

_***********************************************_

Wyndemere.

Nikolas came into the hallway, carrying Spencer. Some of the staff walked past him, carrying his luggage.

Alexis met him in the hallway, followed by the nanny.

"Thank God you're back," Alexis said. "I was starting to worry about you."

The nanny took Spencer from Nikolas and carried him upstairs.

***********************************************

GreyStone. Claudia's bedroom.

She took her watch off and opened a latch under the face. A flash drive fell out. She re-did the latch and tossed the watch into her jewelry box.

_Why hasn't anyone heard from him? _

_**********************************************_

Wyndemere.

"How was your trip?," Alexis asked.

"Good," he said.

"Good. I think I'm making progress on our Cassadine problem."

"You've been busy."

"Well, Claudia helped."

Nikolas stood stock still.

"You saw Claudia?"

***********************************************

GreyStone. Claudia's bedroom.

Claudia squeezed the flash drive into the top of the pen. She screwed the top of the pen back on. She shook the pen. No rattle. Everything was snug.

_Why did he take Spencer? How am I going to find out if anything's happened to them?_

_**********************************************_

Wyndemere. The Living Room.

"She seemed fine."

"I'll bet she did," Nikolas said. "Did you happen to tell her that Spencer was with me?"

"I think I did."

_**********************************************_

GreyStone. Claudia's bedroom.

She felt the front of her abdomen tighten and a slightly painful cramp.

"No, no."

Uncle Rudy was right. Love kills.

"Sonny!," she called out. "Sonny!"

**********************************************

Wyndemere. The Living Room.

"Even if everything is fine, you can never do this again," Nikolas said, raising his voice to Alexis.

Alexis was starting to get a little nervous. "Why not?"

Nikolas was not going to be able to get away with not answering. "Claudia is in trouble. Her life is on the line. No more trips to GreyStone except to see Sonny."

Alexis was about to press the matter further when Alfred entered with the phone. "Miss Elizabeth for you, Master Nikolas."

Nikolas took the phone. "Hello?" Nikolas went pale. "When?... Thank you." He hung up and handed the phone to Alfred. "Thank you, Alfred." Alfred left and Nikolas sank down into a chair.

"What is it?"

"Claudia's being rushed to the hospital."

"Well, then, let's go."

Nikolas didn't move. "We can't."

Alexis took in his lost demeanor. She came and knelt in front of Nikolas and said softly, "Maybe you'd better tell me what's going on."


	20. Chapter 20

General Hospital. Emergency Room.

Elizabeth was overseeing triage, so Claudia was seen as soon as she arrived.

Claudia was surprised to see Sonny step up and make sure she was being taken care of. He even brought her a glass of water while they waited for Dr. Lee. He was acting like a husband.

The pain hadn't gotten any stronger, and the contractions (which is what, it turned out, those muscle spasms in her abdomen were) had finally subsided.

But Claudia still didn't feel well. Her head ached, and she felt like she might faint at any moment. Her eyes began to close and Sonny grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"Hey," he said, firmly, but gently. "Hey. You still with me?"

"Yes," she said. She noticed Elizabeth come into the room and check the fetal monitor.

"You've gotta stay awake, Claudia. I know it's hard, but you're a fighter. Use that."

She nodded. "John," she said.

"Johnny?," Sonny repeated, confused. A look of realization. "You want Johnny?"

"Please." Elizabeth put a blood pressure cuff on Claudia.

"Okay." Sonny hesitated to leave her. "Okay. But I'll be right back. Don't go to sleep now, okay?"

"Okay."

Sonny let go of her hand and left the room.

Claudia grabbed Elizabeth's hand. "Nik?"

"I just spoke to him. He knows you're here."

"No. Nikolas and Spencer. Are they back?"

"I don't understand."

Claudia's heart monitor sped up. "In Port Charles."

It hadn't occurred to Elizabeth that Nikolas might be anywhere else. But right now, her patient was the most important thing. "I'll find out," Elizabeth said. "Just keep calm until I get back. Okay?"

Sonny came back in the room. "Johnny's on his way," he said.

"Okay," Claudia said. To both of them.

****************************************************

Wyndemere. Living Room.

Nikolas studied Alexis for a long time. He didn't believe in telling other people's secrets.

In his early days in Port Charles, Lucky and Nikolas had traded family secrets like knife wounds. And they were felt like knife wounds. Later, when he and Lucky had finally become brothers in every sense of the word, Nikolas kept going over his past mistakes. And as much as he had no tolerance for lies, he also believed that the truth was best served when it was traded between the two people who _owned_ the secret.

He hated that Claudia had lied about visiting Helena. But even more than that, he'd hated that he hadn't heard it from her first. The fact that she had told him so soon after lying was important. But it was even more important that she had told him herself. Years before, Nikolas could have been spared a world of pain if he'd been told about the possibility of Stefan being his father -- if he had heard it first from Laura or Stefan.

It was inevitable that Alexis would have to be told some of Claudia's secrets. Today had proven that much. And if he ended up failing to get Claudia out of this alive, he would need to have a lawyer prepared for the custody battle for Claudia's child. There were no "b" or "c" choices for a lawyer. Alexis was The One.

He opened his mouth to speak, and the phone rang. "Excuse me," he said to Alexis, picking up the phone. "Hello. ... I understand. ... Tell her that Spencer and I are both home again. Tell her we were always safe. And don't tell her in front of anyone else. ... Thank you." He hung up the phone.

He let out a deep breath and turned to Alexis. "You can't see Claudia again."

"So you said," she said, looking at him strangely.

"Do you have any idea what it took to get her out of a high risk pregnancy? And it only took two days with Sonny and a conversation with you to destroy all of that."

"Nikolas!"

"Claudia is marked for death the moment her child is born. Try and imagine what will happen should she lose the baby."

Alexis couldn't begin to figure out whether Nikolas' pronouncements were true or not. But she could tell that he definitely believed what he was saying. "Marked for death by whom? And why?," asked Alexis.

Nikolas hoped he was making the right decision. "The answer to your first question is Jason and Sonny. I can't answer your second question. This is what I can tell you..."

*****************************************************

Claudia's Hospital Room.

Claudia had been moved to a room.

Sonny sat by her bed while they waited for the doctor. They didn't have to wait long.

Dr. Lee came in carrying Claudia's chart.

"How are you feeling?," she asked Claudia.

"Better," Claudia said. "What happened?"

Dr. Lee took a seat by Claudia's bed. "Well, first of all, your blood pressure is fine."

"Good."

Kelly looked from Sonny to Claudia. One thing was certain: this was not the typical blessed event. Kelly wasn't sure what it was. Granted, Claudia Corinthos was a piece of work. The first third of her pregnancy, Ric had been hovering and making noise about being the father. Then there was the -- well, "weird" was the word for it -- weird introduction of Nikolas Cassadine into the second trimester. And now it was just Sonny again. And she had to to figure out how to ease her way into an odd conversation.

"It's only been a week since your last visit, Claudia. And I'm concerned about the changes."

"What changes?," Sonny asked.

Dr. Lee put down the chart. "Claudia, what you experienced tonight were Braxton Hicks contractions. They're not a cause for alarm, but typically, they don't start until the third trimester."

"So why am I getting them now?," Claudia asked.

"Last week," Dr. Lee said, "You had a clean bill of health. Everything was in normal range. You were taking care of yourself. Today, you're dehydrated."

Claudia didn't say anything.

"You're weak. Have you been eating?"

"I slept through breakfast this morning. But I ate as soon as I got up."

"What about dinner last night?"

Claudia didn't say anything, just looked at Sonny. Sonny knew why she hadn't eaten the night before. It was because she couldn't get into the kitchen. Claudia had been asleep by the time the drama was over, and Sonny'd had to throw out last night's sauce.

"I'm going to keep you here overnight," Dr. Lee said to Claudia. "But I can't stress enough how important it is for you to take care of yourself."

"I understand," Claudia said.

"Your fluids should be back to normal soon. And we'll get a meal in here as soon as it's ready."

"Thank you, Doctor," Sonny said.

Dr. Lee left.

"I'm sorry," Sonny said.

"Here's the thing, Sonny," Claudia said.

"Yeah?"

"I can't have any more stress. So I'm not fighting with you. I'm not fighting with you about little things around the house. I'm not fighting with you about Olivia. Or the business. This is new for me."

"Understood."

"But there is now one exception to the rule. I will fight you for my baby's health." She lowered her voice. "No more skipping meals because there's F.B.I. agent being taken down in the kitchen. No more late night visits that wake me up and make me miss breakfast the next morning. This is the way things have to be."

This was the first sign Sonny had seen of his wife since she'd returned home. "Fair enough," Sonny said.

There was a knock at the window. Jason peered in and gestured to Sonny.

"I'll be right back," Sonny said.

Sonny left.

And Elizabeth entered. "Hi," she said. "I checked. They're home. They're fine. Nikolas said to tell you that they were always safe."

"Thank you," Claudia said. "I would appreciate it if you would let him know that I'm fine. And the baby's fine."

"Sure," said Elizabeth. Elizabeth left.

And Claudia was alone with her thoughts. Love made you expect to be cared for. It made you too used to not being alone. It made you worry. It made everything else invariably fall flat. Love was a disadvantage. Too bad there was no choice.

*****************************************************

Empty hospital room.

"How is she?," Jason asked.

"Looks like she's going to be fine," Sonny said.

"The baby?"

"We'll make sure he makes it. Happy and healthy."

Jason nodded. "I know this is a bad time, but what do you want to do with Dante?"

"I can't think about that now."

"You have to. I'm sorry, Sonny, but when the FBI has a missing agent, they're going to look for him."

"We've got a bigger problem than the F.B.I."

Jason looked at Sonny questioningly.

"Claudia's Uncle Rudy came for a visit today."

"Why?"

"He said it was about the baby. I don't know. That's not important. Claudia told her uncle about Dante," Sonny said.

"And?"

"And? Now we've got to deal with this."

"Sonny, we always were gonna have to deal with this. And Claudia's uncle _should_ know about this. They need to prepare. Just in case."

Jason too? What was so hard for everyone to understand? "He's my son."

"And I'm sorry. I know this puts you in a bad position. But you can't ignore the fact that he's a Fed, and you can't ignore the fact that this could bring everything down around us. Claudia's thinking straight. You need to too."

"Not now, Jason."

"When?"

"I don't know. Soon." Sonny needed a break from all of this. There wasn't a single conversation he wanted to have with Jason. Or Claudia. Or Olivia. Time for something less poisonous and more medicinal.

Sonny left the room.

******************************************************

Wyndemere. Living Room.

Alexis was speechless for a very long time. She'd open her mouth to speak, and then nothing but voiceless, shapeless air would come out. Then she'd close her mouth again.

Nikolas was starting to think that confiding in Alexis might not have been the greatest plan, when she finally managed to get words out.

"Sonny would never hurt the mother of his child."

"He shot Carly."

"He didn't know he was shooting Carly at the time."

"That's comforting. But fine. I'll grant you he might not deliberately hurt a Carly. But consider this: whatever Carly and Sonny's relationship has been, they care for one another. Claudia and Sonny got married as a business arrangement."

"And somehow they transacted a baby."

"This is not my story to tell. You're going to have to trust me."

"I'm going to have to trust Claudia. Via you."

"I trust her."

"You trusted Rebecca."

Nikolas had no response to that one. Alexis was afraid she'd completely circumvented all future discussion about anything with Nikolas when he spoke again. "Alexis. I know the worst there is to know about Claudia. Worse than you know. Worse than I'd say anyone else in town knows. And yes, it's worse than what you've imagined. But she tells me the truth."

That shut Alexis up for awhile. She decided to forego the "Sonny Wouldn't Kill Claudia" discussion. "All right. But that still doesn't answer my biggest question. What is Claudia planning? How on earth does she expect you to get custody?"

******************************************************

Claudia's hospital room.

Claudia's eyes opened when she heard the door to her room creak.

John.

"Hi." he said.

"Hey."

John hurried to her side. "How are you?"

"Okay."

"How's the baby?"

"I think he's going to be okay. Listen, John, I need to talk to you before Sonny comes back."

"You sure he's coming back?"

"Forget about that. Forget him. This is important."

John took the seat next to Claudia's bed.

Claudia took John's hand in both of hers.

"I didn't mean for you to go back to Sonny, Claudia."

"I know. But this was the best I could do. I would do anything for you. And I know you would do anything for me." She muttered under her breath, "Except kill Ric. Or Jason Morgan."

"Claudia --"

"Hey, whatever, those ships have sailed. I have another, not so big favor to ask of you."

************************************************************

Dark Bar. Just outside of Port Charles.

Sonny downed another bourbon.

"Let me buy your next one," Rebecca said, sitting down beside him.

***********************************************************

Wyndemere. Living room.

Alexis continued to think out loud. "I mean, she herself said it: she's the Zacchara Helena. So what does she plan to do? Kill Sonny from beyond the grave? Even then, you've got dozens of Zaccharas who will be coming out of the woodwork to claim the youngest Zacchara prince."

"Claudia isn't the Zacchara Helena."

"I can understand why you wouldn't want to think that. A little too Über Oedipal for you. But that's why I went to her today. Because she can get into Helena's head like no one else. Because they're alike."

"She can get into Helena's head because she's smart," Nikolas corrected. "Claudia isn't Helena. Helena is what Claudia is scared of becoming. Sometimes Helena is what Claudia thinks she has to become to survive," he allowed. "But underneath all that, Claudia is us. Only born female into a family that despises females. Threatened with death since the day she was born, from almost everyone she's ever known. She's me. She's you. Without Stefan. Under worse circumstances. If you can imagine that. Living by a code that has dictated her death, and accepting it. What you need to do, if you're going to figure out what Claudia's up to, is figure out what _you_ would do if you were in her position and wanted me to gain custody."

Alexis momentarily pursed her lips and tilted her head. Then she conceded. "All right. I'll accept your premise. For now. So she's not going to have Sonny killed after her death, because that would be pointless. She needs to find a way for the courts to have to give you custody. A way to prevent Sonny _and _the Zaccharas from being the inevitable choices. And remember, you're in no way biologically --" Alexis stopped. Her jaw dropped open. "Oh. My. God."

"What?"

"She wouldn't. No one has ever... If anyone found out, she'd be dead. But she's going to die anyway, so that makes sense in a way. But what would happen to her brother? Unless..."

************************************************************

Claudia's hospital room.

Claudia brushed John's hair back.

"I'll listen, but that doesn't mean I'll do what you want," John said.

"I'm shocked. I think you'll like this one. John, I need you to leave the organization. I need you to leave here and disappear."

***********************************************************

Wyndemere. Living room.

Alexis got up. She walked a few feet. Then she turned to face Nikolas.

"What is it?," he asked.

"Claudia's planning on taking down the whole Mob -- Corinthos, Zacchara, you name it. From the grave."


	21. Chapter 21

Claudia's Hospital Room.

"No," Johnny said.

"No?," Claudia echoed. "What 'no'? You have been whining about getting out of the business since you could say the words 'the business.' In fact, I think your first complete sentence was 'Me out business now.'"

"I was a child, not a caveman," Johnny said.

"Come on, John. Why not? Why not leave? Be done with it. You are absolved. Go."

"Why?"

"You can't just take this on faith?"

"Uh, no."

"Why not?"

"Because I know you," he said. "The only reason you'd want me out of here is because you're up to something. And trouble's coming."

"You're imagining things."

"Go ahead. Lie all you want -- I know you. And you know me. If trouble is coming, I'm not leaving you."

********************************************

Wyndemere. Living Room.

Alexis and Nikolas had been interrupted by a phone call. Once he had word from Liz that Claudia and the baby were fine, he hung up and picked up right where they'd left off. But with a lot less tension radiating off him. "What do you mean -- 'Take them down'?," he asked.

"Exactly that. Every single person who could ever want to get custody of Claudia's baby, or kill Claudia's baby, would be put away." When Alexis got to the part about killing Claudia's baby, Nikolas' expression turned dark; it was the first time he'd ever reminded Alexis of Stavros. "Hey, you set up the circumstances for me, you asked me to put myself in her place. And I am telling you, that's what I'd do."

"I disagree."

"Why?"

"Well, Claudia wouldn't do that to her Uncle Rudy, for one."

"You don't think so."

"No, I don't."

"Nikolas, a second ago, you claimed to know the worst about Claudia. I want you to think back to that. And now let me walk you through something. As far as Claudia knows, she's going to die when her baby is born. Are we even sure she knows you plan on getting her out of this alive?"

Nikolas hesitated, and then muttered, "Uncle Rudy was supposed to let her know."

"Come again?"

"Her uncle, Rudy, was supposed to let her know."

"Please tell me you're not working with the mob."

"Please don't make me regret telling you any of this."

"I am not the D.A. I am not the D.A. I am not the D.A."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm renouncing my job title for the duration of this conversation. Because I could lose my job over this. Which means we never had this conversation."

"Can that wait until this conversation is over?"

Alexis took a deep breath. And exhaled. "Let's get through this as quickly as we can."

"All right."

"When Claudia came up with whatever she came up with, she believed she was going to die. And she wants you to be appointed legal guardian of her child. Do I have this right so far?"

"Yes."

"She wants her child to be with you because she believes that number one, you'll give the child the best life possible, and number two, you'll protect that child. Would you say those are safe assumptions?"

"Yes."

"Good. So you're with me so far. All things considered, if Claudia had to choose between her child going to you and a prison-free life for Rudy, what would she do?"

"She'd choose the better life for her child." Before Alexis' expression turned too self-satisfied, he added, "But your choice of options for her is absurd."

"No, it's not. Trust me. If Claudia believes she's going to die -- and, may I remind you, you believe in all seriousness that Sonny intends to kill her too, that's how this conversation started -- if Claudia believes she's going to die, those are the stakes. She's got to get her child to you. And the only way to do that is to eliminate all other comers. She can't be sure that she can plan for all their deaths -- and if she's fond of her uncle, it's probably not a choice she'd make. And not one of these animals is going to give up custody of their own free will. Don't look at me like that, Nikolas. They _are_ animals. The only choice she has is making sure every last one of them is put away. And since she's going to die, there will be no retaliation possible. Especially if she gets Johnny away from the action in time. The only problem with her plan, Nikolas, is that you want her to live."

********************************************

Claudia's Hospital Room.

"This is crazy," John said. "You're telling me to get out of town, and Nikolas Cassadine is telling me not to make a move until I hear from him."

If there was an afterlife, there were only four people Claudia would miss. And she hadn't even met one of them yet. The one she'd miss the most was John. She knew exactly how much she'd miss him, because she'd already been kept away from him for sixteen years.

"My entire life has been spent wishing and fighting for you to take what is rightfully yours, John," Claudia said.

"Yeah. No matter I wanted."

"You'd have looked really good in power. Doing things right. "

"You have a very strange idea of what 'right' means."

"You were right about trouble coming. I'm leaving you in a very bad position. Once the baby is born, all hell will break loose. Whether I'm here or not, there will be no way to protect you. There will be no way for you to protect yourself."

"Whether you're here or not?"

"So I'm making a few adjustments to what I'm fighting and wishing for. I want you to feel safe. I want you to be safe."

"Not leaving without you, Claudee."

Claudia smiled. "Spencer calls me 'Claudee' too. What is it about little boy's mouths that makes my name so difficult?"

"It doesn't have anything to do with our mouths. It's a conspiracy."

Claudia put her hand to John's cheek. "Promise me that the minute you know things are getting hopeless, you'll save yourself."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, John. I'm getting what I want. That's what it's all about."

The night nurse came in with Claudia's dinner.

Claudia smiled and patted John's hand reassuringly. He felt like someone had just walked over his grave.

********************************************

A Hotel Room. Somewhere outside of Port Charles.

Almost as soon as they were done, Rebecca left the bed. She began to dress, and Sonny was about to ask her where she was rushing off to when he realized: this was how he'd met Claudia.

This time, the woman asked the first question. "Your wife's back with you now, right?"

"That's why you're rushing off?"

"So she's not back with you."

"She's back. It's complicated."

"You ever seen them together? It's like Elvira and Dudley Do-Right." Rebecca slipped on her shoes, while checking out Sonny on the bed. He looked like he wasn't going anywhere. "Isn't she going to miss you?"

"She's probably relieved I'm not with her. Where are you staying?," Sonny asked her.

"Why? You wanna give me a ride home?," Rebecca asked.

"No, I just want to know how to find you."

"Don't worry. I'll find you. I always find trouble. Tell me something," she said. "I hear a lot of talk around town. What exactly do you do?"

Sonny turned his head away from her. Not another unwanted conversation. "I import coffee."

"Yeah. Right," she said. "So do you deal in stuff that falls off a truck? Extortion? Racketeering? What?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm just making sure."

She was beginning to sound like a Fed. Another mistake. He waded in carefully. "Making sure of what?"

"That you're what I deserve."

********************************************

A Padded Cell. Somewhere outside of Port Charles.

Dante sat in a padded room with music scrawled all over the walls. The room looked bleak. But he'd been fed. Hadn't been threatened.

Now he was waiting for his father or the F.B.I. to come. He didn't know which would be worse. He would have never accepted this assignment if he'd known he was investigating his father. And he would surely be dead by now if he'd been investigating anyone else.

He hated being alone with his thoughts. He really wished he could read music.

*********************************************

Claudia's Hospital Room.

Sonny came quietly into the darkened room.

Claudia was asleep. Sonny moved the food tray, with its empty cups and plates, off to the side.

He sat beside Claudia and thought about how quickly she'd told her uncle about Dante. It turned out that Claudia, who didn't believe in consequences for herself, was Lady Justice when it came to protecting her own. She was quick to destroy his children. Who knew what she would do in the name of her own? If she could actually put her child before herself.

Claudia was dangerous. Treacherous.

_"I'm just making sure."_

_"Making sure of what?"_

_"That you're what I deserve."_

He'd stayed with Claudia because he'd felt she was what he deserved. Because of the life he'd made for himself. But there was a child about to be born who hadn't made a life for himself yet. This baby was getting Claudia as a mother because of Sonny's choices.

Claudia was damaged beyond repair. He knew when they'd had each other at gunpoint and she'd kissed him. He'd known it as she pursued him through his contempt for her. She'd been with him, knowing what she'd done to Michael. And when he'd found out about Michael... What would happen when Sonny had done something unforgivable? When she knew how much he loved their child. When their child was the one weapon she had to use against him.

From here on out, he was going to make sure their child grew healthy inside her. He would be the perfect husband and father. And once the baby was born, there would be justice for Michael. And he would make sure Claudia never came anywhere near their child.

*********************************************

Wyndemere. Nikolas' Bedroom.

This was the worst time of day for Nikolas. Alone in his bed without her.

All day, every day, he was surrounded by people who hated her, and didn't really know her. Except for Spencer, but somehow he thought discussing Claudia's survival odds and an upcoming custody battle would be a little beyond Spencer.

This was where he'd first met her. When she washed up on the docks, he'd thought she was Emily and she'd thought he was Johnny, and before they had a chance to exchange words with each other as Nikolas and Claudia, she was unconscious. Here, in this room, they'd finally really met when she'd regained consciousness, and something had happened between them. There was a connection discovered that time and distance didn't change. Every time they saw each other, it was as if they were picking up right where they'd left off. They may have spent weeks or months apart, but all of their time together felt like one long uninterrupted conversation.

He shouldn't have put her in the guest house that first night back. He should have moved her into his bedroom. Being together was inevitable. All that time with her not by his side was wasted time.

Maybe getting her baby to him was enough for her. But it would never be enough for him. He was a Cassadine. He wanted it all.

He would make both plans fit together. All those years preparing under Stefan to become the Prince had surely prepared him enough for this.


	22. Chapter 22

GreyStone. Morning.

Someone had been through Claudia's things while she'd been gone. Again.

She could see the fine work of Spinelli on her laptop. She smirked, wondering whether Sonny was trying to decode Sinatra tunes or struggling to find a Mandarin translator.

Her jewelry had been moved around. The hidden compartment on her watch had been opened and closed back up. Well, good for Spinelli. The kid was smart in not-so-obvious ways.

Unfortunately, what they were all looking for was hidden right under their noses. One of Claudia's last acts before being rushed to the hospital was to sneak the pen back onto Sonny's desk. And why would anyone search one of _Sonny's_ pens for a hidden compartment?

Sonny wanted her to start work again. At a leisurely pace. Probably milking her mind of all its knowledge before she was gone. That was okay, though. Because today, she was going to be milking Spinelli's computer. She liked Spinelli. She really did. But he was going down with the rest of them when all of this was over.

Claudia made her way downstairs for a snack. Jason and Sonny were in the living room, and it looked like she was interrupting something.

"I'm just getting a snack and something to drink," she said. "Then I'll go back upstairs."

"Wait," Jason said.

"Jason. Don't," warned Sonny.

"I'm just asking. You don't have to do anything you don't want to," Jason said to Sonny.

"What?," asked Claudia.

Jason looked at Sonny. Sonny nodded.

"What do you think should be done with Dante?"

"Oh," said Claudia. She leaned against the couch. "I think he should get a message to the F.B.I. soon. Make them think everything's going smoothly on his end. And then start feeding them bad information. But have Spinelli check everything before it gets sent off -- even the outgoing email address."

There was no response from either man, so Claudia continued into the dining room.

"She's smart," Jason said, after she was gone.

"Yeah," said Sonny. "But somehow everything she does fails."

******************************************************

Titus Waters Fertility Clinic. New York City.

Nikolas sat in the waiting area.

As a rule, he didn't like using people's weaknesses against them. And he wasn't sure about the legalities of what he was about to do. But just as Claudia had apparently weighed her child's life against her Uncle Rudy's freedom, Nikolas was finding that when it came to the life of someone he loved, he was willing to throw his traditional ethics out the window.

Dr. Waters had been introduced to Nikolas by Robin Scorpio. At the time, Dr. Waters was one of Robin's favorite mentors from med school. He was looking for funding for a special research project involving multiple births in older patients. Robin hadn't been around when Dr. Waters was caught embezzling funds by Nikolas' accountant. And far be it for Nikolas to knock the good doctor down off Robin's pedestal. Dr. Waters and Nikolas had come to an agreement. Nikolas would forgive the embezzlement -- as long as Dr. Waters successfully sought treatment for his gambling habit. And so it came to be that only three people ever knew about the crime: Nikolas, Dr. Waters, and the accountant.

Nikolas hadn't been thinking about exploiting Dr. Waters when he'd helped him out.

"Mr. Cassadine?," said the clinic administrator. "Dr. Waters will see you now."

But now that the opportunity presented itself, he was going to take advantage of it. There was a tiny part of Nikolas that wondered if the Cassadine in him had set the situation up, in anticipation of today.

"Thank you," Nikolas said, as he rose and went inside the doctor's office.

**********************************************************

Greystone. Afternoon.

Claudia had been plying Spinelli with orange soda all day. And it had the desired effect. He'd been in and out of the bathroom all morning and afternoon, giving Claudia ample time to copy everything from Spinelli's computer that would fit on the flash drive.

After Spinelli's fifth trip, Claudia was done for the day. She slid the flash drive back into the pen, and slipped the pen into her purse.

It was too bad she didn't have room for a hard drive somewhere. That would make everything go faster. She could just duplicate Spinelli's whole computer, and then be able to concentrate on hard copies and information about the other organizations.

She went to the desk and explored all of the drawers. No. Even if she were to build in a false bottom into one of them, Sonny would notice. He used that desk every day. Sometimes only as a leaning post, but he did use it.

She looked at the credenza with the pictures of his children lined up on it. Now that had possibilities. She couldn't remember the last time he'd used it. She opened the middle top drawer. Too small for a hard drive to be hidden. What was behind the door underneath? She opened the door and her breath caught. A framed photo. She'd forgotten that Spencer was Sonny's nephew.

She took out the photo and closed the door. He was so young here. You could see Nikolas more in him now than when he was younger. But still. He'd always had those Cassadine eyes. So dark. And he looked so serious! So tempting to make him laugh. That's how she often felt about Spencer. It was like making Nikolas use slang. Or catching him by surprise with an irreverent nickname. For some reason those things made her laugh and moved her. She knew she was probably not going to see Spencer again. Except as a photo. Nikolas could plan all he wanted to, but there was no way out of this. If there'd been a way, she would have never left the Island. But in spite of everything, she was glad she got to be there as long as she had been.

"Vixenella?"

Claudia looked up in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry, Spinelli. I didn't see you there." She put the photo down.

"Why so distraught?"

"Distraught?"

"You -- you've been --" There was no easy way to say this. "Your face..."

Claudia put her hand to her face. It was wet. "Oh. This?" She quickly wiped the tears away. "No need to be frightened. I just -- well, pregnancy does things to you." Claudia put the photo back inside the credenza.

**********************************************************

Dr. Water's Office. Fertility Clinic.

"All of these questions are hypothetical?," Dr. Waters asked.

"For now," Nikolas said.

"Okay. Hypothetically, you don't want to induce labor early. It poses substantial risks to both mother and child. As does an early C-section. Aside from infections, you also run the risk of subjecting the infant to being born too prematurely. Due dates can be wrong."

Nikolas was silent as he absorbed that. So much for Plans A and B. But something else started to take shape in his mind. As the thought developed, he asked more questions. "How soon after giving birth can mother and child travel by airplane?"

"There's debate about that. I certainly wouldn't advise risking it until at least two weeks afterward."

"Why?"

"Blood clotting for the mother. Hemorrhaging. Problems for the baby due to air pressure changes. And aside from all that, most airlines will not allow you to fly until two weeks afterward."

Nikolas was silent for so long that Dr. Waters thought the conversation was over.

"Would you like to tour the clinic's research lab, Mr. Cassadine? I'd like to bring you up-to-date on our progress."

"No, thank you."

Nikolas was silent again. This time, Dr. Waters didn't break the silence. Nikolas did. "What are the dangers in adjusting a due date?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Is there any danger incurred by changing a due date?," Dr. Waters did not seem to comprehend. "Let's say, hypothetically, that the child is due on the 14th of September. What would happen if the patient's chart was changed to a later due date?"

"Due dates are adjusted as needed. I don't see any reason to worry about a changing due date."

"I'm not being clear," said Nikolas. "The child would still be due on the 14th, but the chart would reflect a different date. Shall we say the 28th of September?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would someone change the date?"

"This is all hypothetical."

"It seems to me to be a foolhardy hypothesis. Every single doctor on call would have to be aware of the change. And the original date. There's no need to --"

"Any physical risk to mother or child?"

Dr. Waters was taken aback by Nikolas' abruptness. This was not the Nikolas Cassadine he knew. "No."

"Thank you," Nikolas said. "I'm afraid you'll be taking a sabbatical, Doctor. From the clinic. You'll be generously compensated. And your clinic will be well taken care of. I need you at General Hospital."

**********************************************************

GreyStone. Claudia's Bedroom. Evening.

How did she end up looking under the bed again? She swore she was done with this after of those evil dvds.

Where do you hide a hard drive when your possessions are being searched daily? There had to be someplace that was just hers. A place Sonny and the rest of them would never think of going.

She checked the time. Sonny should be home soon. Better get back on the bed with a book.

**********************************************************

GreyStone. Living Room.

Sonny arrived home to find Spinelli alone in his living room.

"Where's Claudia?"

"She retired for a respite in anticipation of this evening's repast."

"She's sleeping."

"That would be affirmative. Yes."

"Then just say it. She eat lunch?"

"Indeed, Mr. Sir."

"Why are you still here?"

"Stone Cold requested that I make note of any atypical comportment on the part of Mrs. Sir -- and make report of such findings to you."

"What? See, this is a problem. Freaky Boy. When I can't understand you, I --"

"Mrs. Sir cried today."

Sonny took that in. "That's all you got? She's pregnant. She's got hormone things going on."

"She cried after encountering this." Spinelli produced the photo of Spencer Cassadine.

Sonny took it. Looked at it. Looked at Spinelli. "You can go."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Sir." Spinelli bowed his head obsequiously and went to go.

"Wait," said Sonny, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. He handed the paper to Spinelli. "Check this out. Make sure there are no hidden F.B.I. messages in it."

Spinelli nodded and hurried out of GreyStone.

Sonny looked at the photo of Spencer again. He'd forgotten that he'd even had it. So Claudia had cried. There was a weakness there. Sonny didn't know what that meant. But he took the photo and placed it alongside the photos of his children. Might as well see what effect that had on her.

He went in the kitchen to make her dinner.

**********************************************************

The Spencer House. Evening.

"So what time did he say he was coming?," Lulu asked, tasting the chili.

"Would it matter?," asked Lucky.

"No. I guess not," said Lulu, coughing a little, her eyes watering. "I think Dad thinks unreliability adds to his legend."

"Really?," said Lucky. "I just think he's drunk half the time."

"Hey, don't you think this is a little too hot for the kids?"

"A little too hot for the _kids_? No. That's what this is for," he said, pulling a second pot out of the oven, and moving to the sink to grab a clean glass. "I'm easing them into the spicy stuff. Here."

Lucky handed Lulu a glass of water. "Evil. You just added this much to ours to see if you could get steam coming out of my ears, didn't you?"

"You caught me." Lucky checked his watch. "I'm going to wake up the kids." Lucky headed up the stairs.

"Hey," said Lulu, calling him back. "Why is Spencer here? Not that I don't love seeing him."

"Nikolas went to New York on business. He doesn't want Spencer in the same house as Helena without being there to watch over him. Can't say I blame him." Lucky continued up the stairs.

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!," Lulu called out.

She pulled the door open, and immediately became misty-eyed.

"Mom."

"Oh, Lulu." Laura pulled Lulu into a hug.

"What are you doing here?," asked Lulu, soaking up as much of the hug as she could before letting go.

Laura pulled back and looked at Lulu. "I thought I was overdue for a visit."

Lulu pulled Laura into the house. "Come in, come in. I'm so happy to see you. And guess what? All the kids are here today. Even Spencer."

As Lulu went to close the door, a foot wedged its way in, preventing it from closing all the way. The door swung open.

"Argh!," said a familiar voice, tinged with pain. "Now why would you want to shut out..." Luke's voice trailed off as he saw Laura. "...your old man."


	23. Chapter 23

The Spencer House. Morning.

Laura wondered if Nikolas had planned on being absent for her arrival. Her son was very meticulous about most things. Although...

Somehow, in the middle of all of Nikolas and Laura's plans, they hadn't factored Luke in.

It wasn't as if Laura didn't know he was going to be there. In some ways, Luke was now the last person she wanted to see; in some ways, he was always the only person she wanted to see. It was very close to how their whole story began. Not in the very beginning, when he was charming her with tales of soup made from ketchup, hot water and pepper. Later, when he hurt her and loved her. When she couldn't stay away even when her mind was arguing with her that she should.

He insisted on staying for dinner. Then he insisted on staying on the couch all night. Tracy must have loved that. In the morning, over breakfast, she had the sinking feeling that she was being charmed again. Hopefully, she wouldn't be around long enough for it to stick. Right now, she had a promise to keep. So she carefully worked her way up to the family catching her up on everyone. And eventually, they came around to Sonny.

Nikolas was right. Lulu and Lucky did hate Claudia. Luke had shut them up by saying that no matter what kind of piece of work the woman was, there was no doubt she'd saved his life by bargaining with Sonny for Jason and Spinelli. He didn't go further in his story. But every look exchanged between Lucky and Lulu really brought home how they felt. And even if Laura had been blind, she would have noticed that every time one of them said Claudia's name it was as if it was in italics. _Claudia_. _Her._

When everyone thinks you're sweetness and light, and has idealized you to the point of ridiculousness, it's easy to pretend that you don't hear things like hatred in their voices. Or that you believe everyone is good at heart.

And what do you know? It turned out Sonny's wife was pregnant.

"How wonderful!," Laura said. "I should really go over and congratulate him while I'm in town. Maybe after a trip to Kelly's?"

**************************************

GreyStone. Afternoon.

When Luke and Laura got to Sonny's house, Sonny was in. Which was good. Now she just had to make the trip up the stairs.

"Yeah, she spends a lot of time up there now. Things have been rough with the baby."

"I'm so sorry," Laura said. "But they're good now?"

"So far, so good," Sonny said.

"Well, tell her I said 'congratulations,'" Laura said. If Sonny took her up on her offer, this little plan was doomed. Laura absent-mindedly picked up a framed photo of Spencer from the credenza. "Oh my goodness! Spencer! He must be about one year old here."

Sonny looked at Luke, and then at Laura. "Hey, Laura," he said. "You know what? Why don't you go up and give your congratulations to my wife yourself. She might appreciate the company. She doesn't see many people these days."

"Really?," said Laura. "Are you sure? I don't even know her." This was way too easy. What was he up to?

"Sure," said Sonny. "I need to talk to Luke anyway. This would be a good chance for us to catch up."

At moments like these, Laura wished she and Luke were co-conspirators again. It was hard to feel triumphant when you were the only one who knew what you were up to. And it would be helpful to know what Sonny wanted from Luke. And also, she just missed Luke.

***************************************

GreyStone. Claudia's bedroom.

There was a knock on Claudia's door. She removed her headphones from her belly. "Come in!"

The door opened, and there was this blond, angelic, sweetness-and-light woman standing in her room, shutting the door behind herself.

"Hello, Claudia. I'm --"

"I know who you are."

Laura was taken aback.

"Nikolas has photos. At Wyndemere." _He really went the other way with me as a bed partner. No Oedipal Complex there._

"I haven't been to Wyndemere in a very long time," Laura said. She sat down on Claudia's bed. "I don't know how much time we have, so I'm just going to have to jump into what I came here for. I'm usually a lot more friendly than this, I promise."

"Not to worry. I'm not friendly at all, so you're putting me right in my comfort zone."

"I came by with my ex-husband supposedly to wish Sonny well on his upcoming child. That's all Sonny knows. He sent me upstairs to wish you well personally. I think he wanted to speak to Luke privately."

"Got it."

"Nikolas is planning to get you out of here alive with your baby." Laura caught a look of surprise on Claudia's face that was quickly replaced by an impassive look. "I don't know how. But he wanted me to ask you how far along you are in your plans for his custody of the baby."

"I just started."

"Can you give him an idea of how much longer you'll need?"

Claudia thought things over. "I'm sorry," she said to Laura. "I thought I'd have the whole pregnancy to do this, so I'm just trying to figure out in my head how quickly I could get it done while still being safe about it."

Laura found herself both impressed and depressed by how matter-of-fact Claudia was. She nodded, and looked around the room. "You have your own room?"

"Two months -- that's how much longer I'll need," Claudia said. "And yes, I've always had my own room here. Which turned out to be a blessing, since your son seems to have ruined all other men for me." The last remark seemed to be a bit much for Laura, and Claudia added, "Too much information?"

"It takes a lot to shock me," Laura said.

Claudia looked relieved. "You're probably not going to like me," she said bluntly, "It's okay. Most people don't."

"You shot Helena. I already like you."

Claudia laughed, but sobered up quickly. "Your other son hates me. Your daughter hates me too."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Laura said. "Luke's sister hated me for a very long time."

There was something very easy about this conversation, Claudia thought. She tried to put her finger on why, tried to remember the last conversation she had where she wasn't on her guard, and she suddenly blurted out her realization: "You're like Nikolas."

Laura smiled. "Out of all my children, Nikolas is the most like me. Which is strange because, you know, I had Nikolas under circumstances very much like yours are right now. I never loved Nikolas' father; I was his prisoner. And then I lost Nikolas for a very long time."

"You left him."

"I was always going to come back. But the Cassadines wanted him for themselves. So the very first time I tried to get him back, they killed my mother. As a warning."

Claudia got up from the bed, pacing and shaking her head. "This is a mistake." She stopped and looked Laura in the eye. "_You_ understand. You have to make Nikolas see. Nikolas and Spencer, if anyone thought I ... Do you understand? The people I care about, the people who care about me -- nothing good comes of it. These people die, or are hurt, or are used as leverage," Claudia said. "And when that happens, it's dangerous for me to have feelings."

"It's dangerous for everyone else for you not to. People are easier to destroy when you don't care about them. Helena taught me that."

"Do you --" Claudia stopped herself, and then couldn't hold back. "Do you know if Helena's been stopped? Are Nikolas and Spencer all right?"

"I don't know. What do you mean?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"He'll tell me now," Laura said, almost to herself.

"Do you think he'll hate me for letting this slip? Enough to leave me alone?"

"No. Nikolas is very stubborn. He gets that from both sides."

****************************************

GreyStone. Living Room.

"Mind if I smoke?," Luke said, pulling out a cigar.

"I got a pregnant wife upstairs, Luke. I wouldn't advise it."

Luke disappointedly tucked the guitar back in his jacket. "Thanks for the reinforcements. With Helena."

"Yeah, that was Claudia. No one would tell me what was going on." Sonny picked up the photo of Spencer and then put it back down. "Mind if I ask you something?"

"It depends."

"What went on with your stepson and my wife?"

"You worried?"

"Not really. I'm just curious. He stormed in here her first day back and wrote her off. Haven't seen him since."

Luke laughed bitterly.

"What's so funny?"

"He may be my stepson, man, but I'd watch out for him. Cassadines don't give up. They can spend years under the radar just waiting to swoop in on your woman."

Sonny made a mental note to put a tail on Nikolas.

****************************************

GreyStone. Claudia's bedroom.

"Thank you for saving Luke's life," Laura said.

"I just made a phone call."

"What did that phone call cost you? I'm no stranger to the Life, Claudia. I wish I was, but Luke and I took Frank Smith down. We spent a summer on the run, and even when it was finally over, it was never really _over_."

"So what are you doing?"

"Well, now I'm living in France."

"No. I mean, what are you doing helping your son get mixed up in my mess?"

"Oh, Claudia, is that how you see it?"

"He's got a good life. I mean, aside from having a sociopath for a grandmother. Let him keep his good life."

"It's funny," Laura said, "Everyone wonders about what Luke would have been like without me. Maybe a life of petty crime. Maybe the neighborhood barfly with a good story and a beer and a cigar. Luke talks about me like I'm some kind of angel who came to save him. But no one ever thinks about what I would have been without Luke. Life probably would have been a lot more pleasant. But I don't think it would have really been a life."

Claudia didn't say anything.

"You know, my mother ended up being alive. She was being held by the Cassadines. I got her back," Laura said.

Claudia was silent a little bit longer. "I appreciate what you're saying. But my life has not had any fairytale endings in it so far," Claudia said. "I don't think it'll start to have any at this late date. In spite of the involvement of a prince."

Laura touched Claudia's hand. Claudia looked at her, resigned. Laura got up. "I should go before Luke comes to get me. How should I say our visit went? What if you offended me?"

"That would work. I'll be suspicious of you. Sonny relates to suspicion."

"Good. Good-bye, Claudia."

"Good-bye, Laura." As Laura reached for the door knob, Claudia added, "Thank you. I'm glad I got to meet you."

Laura turned to look at Claudia. Laura smiled. She left the room. She leaned against the closed door, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she had a look of determination.

Inside her bedroom, Claudia was thinking, _He even brought his mother in on this. He really is out of his mind._

******************************************

GreyStone. Living Room.

Luke and Sonny stopped talking as Laura came down the stairs.

"How is she?," Sonny asked.

Laura hesitated for just the right amount of time and said, as if taking care to be polite, "I just think she's a little hormonal. Side effect of pregnancy."

"Yeah," said Sonny. "No, she's always like that."

Laura laughed in relief. "Oh, good. I thought it was me."

Luke said, "No, the present Mrs. Corinthos has a reputation for nasty, darlin'."

Luke made his way outside to finally enjoy his cigar, and Sonny pulled Laura aside.

"You know, it's strange," Sonny said to Laura. "The only person who gets along with my wife is your son."

"Really?," Laura said, looking stunned. "She doesn't seem like Lucky's type."

******************************************

Outside the Spencer House. Evening.

After dinner, Nikolas and Laura went for a walk alone.

They waited until they were far enough from the house not to be overheard, and then Laura said, "She says she can be ready in two months. She had planned for more time, but she thinks she can shorten it to two months and still be safe."

"How did she look?"

"Well, I don't know how she usually looks, Nikolas, but she looked good to me. Although she seems to be stuck in her room."

Nikolas nodded.

"Nikolas. She has her own room. And she hasn't slept with Sonny since she's been back."

"She told you that?"

"She's a little blunt."

"A little?"

"A lot. She's worried about you."

"She's due to be murdered on the day she gives birth and she's worried about me." Nikolas shook his head, stopping in his tracks.

"Oh, Nikolas," Laura said, throwing her arms around him and hugging him. "She's your Luke."

She pulled back in time to see Nikolas roll his eyes.

"No, seriously. I had my Emily, too. My Emily was Scott Baldwin. Don't look at me like that -- you didn't know him before he was bitter."

"I can't say I'll take your word for it."

"Fine. Then maybe we can discuss why Claudia thinks Helena needs to be stopped. What has Helena done?"

********************************************

Claudia and Sonny sat through a silent dinner.

Making conversation with Claudia, he asked, "How'd your visit with Laura Spencer go?"

"Nice try," she said.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know what that was all about."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not keeping any secrets from you anymore, Sonny. Don't try sending your friends to me to get things out of me."

"I didn't send Laura to you."

"Right. And a complete stranger comes to my house to butter me up with congratulations. Like I said, nice try."

Claudia took another bite of her veal and shot one last look at Sonny.


	24. Chapter 24

Sonny's Coffee Shop. Back Office.

Claudia sat with her feet up on the desk, talking on the phone while Sonny and Jason watched. "Мы согласны. Двенадцать ящиков... Спасибо... Мы очень рады сотрудничать с вами."

She hung up the phone. "All set," she said. _I could be making arrangements to burn down your warehouse and you'd never know it._

Jason must have read her mind because he nodded to Sonny, and Sonny and Jason left the room.

Claudia opened up two ledgers in front of her from the past fiscal year. One with the real figures. One with the doctored figures. Both with Sonny's handwriting and signature. She used an Exacto knife to excise both pages, folded the pages, and stuffed them in her bra. Then she returned the ledgers to the shelf. Sat down at the desk and put her feet up again.

Sonny and Jason came back in.

"Claudia," Sonny said. "Are you gonna keep working after the baby's born?"

"Why? You want to replace me?"

"No, it's just you seem really into the baby, and --"

"And you and Jason don't speak Russian. That's a real dilemma, isn't it? Something to think about."

Max came into the room, carrying Claudia's gym bag. "Here you go, Mrs. C.," he said.

"Whoa," Sonny said. "What's this?"

"I'm going to the gym today," Claudia said, getting up. "Don't worry. I'll take it easy. Who do you have guarding me? Do you think they'd spot me?"

****************************************************

The Spencer House.

Nikolas tucked the last of Spencer's wayward toys into a crate.

"You're leaving already?," Laura asked from the top of the stairs.

He looked up at her. "As soon as Spencer wakes up. I wish we didn't have to."

"No one's here now but you and me and Spencer. If you want to talk."

"I just need more time. To plan things."

"Anything I can do to help?"

Nikolas sat down on the couch and exhaled. Laura came down the rest of the stairs. He turned to look at her. "I know you like her. But I can't ask you to do anything else for me without telling you why Sonny wants her dead."

Laura sat down next to him. "I hope you know you can tell me anything, Nikolas." He looked skeptical. "I've done plenty of awful things in my life. Believe me."

"I don't want you to hate her." Nikolas looked away from Laura. "I think I'm the only person whom Claudia has ever known who has treated her decently. Until you. If you like her, you must have let her have some dignity. This could take that away from her." He now turned and looked straight into his mother's eyes. "Claudia has never been treated like a human being. Her father wanted her dead from the moment she was born female. Her marriage to Sonny was a business arrangement between Sonny and her father. Her brother loves her, but he gets into trouble and then leaves Claudia to clean up after him by debasing herself or handling the dirty work for him." He saw his mother looking at him with sympathy and he felt like he had sold her a false bill of goods. "I don't want to sugarcoat this. She's not nice. She's done terrible things." Time to face the music. "She's the one who ordered the hit on Sonny that left Michael Corinthos in a coma."

He watched the words hit Laura and sink in. And the look in her eyes. There was no way --

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why did she do it?"

"Sonny had kidnapped her brother. Beat him. Left him without food or water. Threatened to send him back to Claudia piece by piece."

"Why?"

"He thought the Zaccharas were responsible for his fiancee being shot and his son's disappearance. They weren't. There's something else."

"What?"

"Claudia would have me believe that she's the only one responsible for what happened."

"You don't think she is?"

"You'd have to know Claudia to understand this, but she's a little too defensive about her brother being involved. She was willing to die to cover up the crime. So that he wouldn't get hurt. I also think that had she known a child would have been there, she would have stepped in front of the bullet."

"She told you this?"

"She didn't have to. I've seen her with Spencer."

"A child got shot, Nikolas."

"I know."

"There's no excuse."

"I know that. She knows that." He knew he'd lost his mother's support by the look on her face. But he still wanted her understanding. "I just wish... I just wish she'd had a chance. For a real life. You should see who she is when she's treated with smallest bit of human decency."

_"What are you doing helping your son get mixed up in my mess?"_

_"The people I care about, the people who care about me -- nothing good comes of it."_

Older memories took hold. Someone else's words. _"Tonight I have this job to do after I take you home. And it's a job that's going to end everything for me. I just want you to know that you're the only one good thing that I ever had in my life. And I'm really -- I'm really sorry that I hurt you because I didn't mean to do that." _And when she threw Luke's car keys over the cliff so he couldn't make the hit: _"You idiot! You just put a bullet in my head!"_

Laura looked at Nikolas. "What do you need me to do?," she asked.

Nikolas paused, taken aback. "Alexis believes that Claudia is planning to take both the Corinthos and Zacchara mobs down -- after she's dead --" Laura's eyes widened. " -- so that I can gain custody of her child and he'll be safe. If she lives, which she will if I have anything to do with it, we have a problem..."

*************************************

Port Charles Gym.

Claudia drew the line at the guard/tail following her into the dressing room. She took a shower and waited until the room was empty.

Then she went to her locker and unlocked it.

She unzipped her gym bag and took out the two ledger sheets, neatly folding them into tiny thin squares.

Then she removed an ultrasound photo from her wallet.

She took some tape from her gym bag. She carefully taped the ledger sheet squares up on the inside of her locker door. Then she taped the ultrasound photo over them.

She stood back and admired her work. One problem solved.

*************************************

Harborview Towers. Morning.

Liz honked her horn twice, and was about to honk it again when Matt came hurrying out of the building.

"Sorry," he said, opening the passenger side door. "Slow elevator. Whoa!" Matt had been about to throw his bag into the back seat when he noticed Cameron and Jake. "Wow. Full house."

"You can put that in front of Jake's seat," Liz said.

"Thanks for the ride. Light's green."

"What happened to your car?"

"What always happens. I was in good shape financially. Put down a nice sized deposit on my new apartment. So of course --"

"Your car gave out."

"Yeah. You can make a right here."

"Matt. I know how to get to the hospital."

"Right."

"So how'd you pull the day shift?"

"I didn't. Nikolas Cassadine wants to meet with me."

"About?"

"I don't know. We got off on the wrong foot when I started. I'm sure he just _loves_ the trouble I'm in now." Matt gestured to the car in front of them. "You really need to pass this guy."

Elizabeth pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car. She put the car in park and turned to face Matt. "Matt. I've lived in Port Charles since I was a teenager. I've driven here since I could drive. I am constantly driving with two small boys in the back, on my way to the hospital, my grandmother's, my ex-husband's, daycare, play dates, dates, dinners, dentists, doctors, movies, the dvd rental place, Funland, and more places than you even know exist here. I could drive through a tornado with Godzilla giving birth in my back seat, only using one hand on the wheel. Don't backseat drive. Even from the front seat."

"Well, if it means that much to you..."

"Good." Elizabeth pulled back onto the road. "Is this a good time to mention that Nikolas Cassadine is my ex-brother-in-law and one of my closest friends?"

"Sure. Just as long as you're not related to the Mayor, the Mayor's wife, or Diane Miller, we'll be fine."

Elizabeth laughed.

**************************************

Johnny's Garage.

Johnny was under a car when Claudia got there. She slammed the front door shut behind her.

He wheeled himself out from under the car faster than she thought was humanly possible.

She laughed. "You're hopeless," she said.

He got up, wiping his hands on his pants. "Hopeless?"

"If this had been a hit, you'd be dead. You roll yourself _under_ the car when someone comes in that you can't see."

"Uh-huh."

"Some families trade in homilies. This is the kind of advice Zaccharas go back and forth with." She looked around the garage. "Where's your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend," he said bitterly.

"Finally seeing her real stripes?"

"Enough, Claudia."

"You got a minute?"

"For you to run down Olivia? No."

"To talk. About what's going to happen."

Johnny sat down on the hood of the car. "Do I get a say in any of this?"

Claudia pulled a chair out and sat down. "You can say 'no.' If you want to end up dead."

"Come on, Claudia! What did any of your plans ever get you?"

Claudia reached into her gym bag and brought out a piece of paper. She held it out to Johnny. He didn't move. "John. Look at me. Do you know what it takes for me to get in and out of chairs these days?"

Johnny got up off the hood reluctantly and took the paper. "What's this?"

"That's the combination to my locker at the gym. When you hear that I'm giving birth, what's the first thing you do?"

"I go find Sonny and get rid of him permanently."

"No. But I wish you'd had this kind of initiative earlier. You go to my gym locker and open it. Locker number seven. Lucky number seven. And you pull down the ultrasound on the inside of the door. And you remove the two hidden pieces of paper. And you get them to Nikolas."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because if you don't, my child will end up dead or damaged. Listen. Forget for a minute how you feel about Nikolas as he relates to me. Think back to how you think of him as a person."

"You think anyone you sleep with is decent. For as long as they want you."

Claudia was silent for a long time. "This is different," she said quietly.

"How?"

"I love Nikolas." She sat and waited for a reaction, but none came. "And even more than I love Nikolas, I love the father he's going to be to my child. I'm making arrangements for Nikolas to get custody."

He stared at her in disbelief. "You're crazy."

"No, I'm not. I need you to listen to me." John wouldn't look at her. "I want you to take a good look at Nikolas. This is a man who also grew up as a boy with a price on his head. He knows what it's like to live in constant danger. And yet he's still good. He's gentle when you'd least expect it. He's tender when you need it. And he's dangerous when you need that too. He has compassion even for someone like me. And now I want you to take a look at Spencer. His child. Who also has a price on his head. Who is growing up without a mother, who is protected, and is pampered. And who is happy. Not damaged. Not spoiled. He's loved. Nikolas will do the same for my son."

"What about you?"

"I can't protect my son the way Nikolas can. Even if I make it through this alive. John, look at yourself. How well did I do protecting you?"

"You were a kid."

"I was a Zacchara woman. We're expendable. Your mother. My mother. And now I'm a Corinthos wife. Not a healthy track record there either. Any child that grows up in the environment we grew up in is going to be hurt in unspeakable ways. I don't want my child to know any of that. Nikolas is the right father for my child. Maybe not biologically, but in every way that counts he is."

"What about me?"

Claudia took a deep breath. "I think you'd be a wonderful uncle. But I don't think you're going to get a chance. It would end up with one or both of you dead. Separate, you both have a fighting chance." She turned her face away from him and wiped away an escaping tear. Then she turned back to him. "I hate this. I hate that my child might not get to know you. I love you more than any other person. Any other person than this child growing inside me. Don't you think I'd want you to know each other? But you can't. Not if it means that one of you will die."

"But Nikolas Cassadine --"

"No!" This was the first time Claudia had raised her voice to John in a long time. "We don't have this kind of time anymore. We can't get all irrational or possessive. This is what I want. This is right. And this is the way it will be. That's it. You can think about it all you want to, but you will not get in the way of it."

John was silent.

Claudia continued. "And if there comes a time when you can't find me, or when you need to know what to do, you will go to Nikolas, and you will do _exactly_ what he says."

**************************************

General Hospital. Nikolas' Office.

Nikolas was looking over some architectural plans.

There was a knock and Matt Hunter poked his head in the door. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Come in."

Matt came in and shut the door behind him.

"I want you to know that you officially have your office back," Nikolas said. "I've been a little pre-occupied or it would have happened sooner. Dianne Miller had no right to keep you out of there as long as she did."

"Thanks."

Nikolas took a large stack of files off his desk and handed them to Matt. "These are yours now. Just in case you have any more patients throwing you off cases, which I can't help. These files are about pharmaceutical trials that I'd like to look into having here at General Hospital. I'd like you to be the point man on them. If you have any downtime."

Matt took the files.

"Thank you for coming in early. That's all for now," Nikolas said, dismissing him.

Matt rose and went to the door. As he left the room, Epiphany Johnson entered.

"Nurse Johnson," Nikolas said. "Thank you for coming."

"I have a full roster of patients, Mr. Cassadine. What can I do for you?"

"We're a little late on our quarterly fire drill. We'll be having it at ..." Nikolas snuck a look at his computer. "...4:30 pm tomorrow. That should avoid any shift confusion. We'll be having patients and staff stay behind, but all guests will be evacuated."

"Yes, Mr. Cassadine."

"And as always, these sorts of drills only work if they're a surprise."

"Of course. Are we done?"

"Yes. Thank you for your time."

Epiphany left.

***************************************

Johnny's Garage.

"Can you help me up?," Claudia said.

Johnny grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

"Heavy, huh?"

"You look great. And I don't care what you say. You would be a great mother."

"I am a great mother. This is what a great mother in my situation does." She patted his cheek. "My guard's probably getting really frustrated by now. I've got to get going." Claudia turned to go.

"Claudia." She turned back around to him. "I'll think about it."

"I'm right. You'll see. Oh."

"What?"

"You might want to thaw out a little toward Olivia Falconari. She's still a slut, but we may need her later on."

And with that, Claudia left.

***************************************

General Hospital. The hallway outside of Nikolas' office.

Phil had been here all afternoon. Jason had said to tail Nikolas Cassadine, and today it looked like Nikolas Cassadine was only going to sit in his office all day and take meetings. Phil really wished he had some kind of relief on duty. It was very hard to keep looking like he was supposed to be here.

He pulled back around the corner as Cassadine's door opened. Nikolas Cassadine stepped outside, locking his door behind him. Then Cassadine proceeded to the elevator. He got on the first one that came.

Phil watched as the floor numbers on the elevator indicator dropped down. They stopped at basement level. Phil took the next elevator. But the button wouldn't light for the basement level. It looked like you needed a key to gain access. The stair doors were locked to that level. He would have to wait until Cassadine came back.

And that was the same conclusion another, more ominous figure made from a distance.

****************************************

General Hospital. Basement.

Nikolas nodded as he passed the housekeeping staff in the basement.

He kept going until he reached a room marked, "Archival." He punched in a set of numbers to the door lock. The door opened. Nikolas slipped inside. He closed the door behind him.

Once inside the room, he walked through the shelves of ancient files, some dating back to 1963. When he reached the far wall of the room, there was a closet. He unlocked the closet. He went inside.

He pushed aside some boxes, knelt down, and uncovered a keypad. He punched in another set of numbers. The back wall of the closet slid open. Nikolas went inside. The door slid shut automatically behind him.

He went down a darkened ramp. Turned on some lights. Surveyed the observation room and the lab. Everything here was hopelessly outdated now. It would all have to be discreetly replaced. Sanitized.

This was the place where his father had come back to life. And this was the place where Claudia's baby would be born.


	25. Chapter 25

Spencer House. Morning.

Luke was in a mood. Laura was gone. She'd said good-bye to the kids, the grand-kids -- she'd probably said good-bye to the grandkids' toys -- and hadn't said good-bye to him. Which would have been enough to send him over the edge. But that wasn't all. Laura was missing. She hadn't gone back to France. She'd just, well, gone. And no one was concerned but him. Lucky had even muttered something about her needing "alone time" before the kid had gone off to work.

In the middle of his grand tantrum -- which was being ignored by Lulu, who was the only Spencer kid within earshot -- he realized something. He didn't know where Laura was because Laura didn't want him to know where she was.

He sat down on the couch, silent. Laura had finally had enough. Enough of another wife, enough of a kid he'd gotten by cheating on her, enough of him.

***********************************************

Wyndemere. Nikolas' bedroom.

Sam sat on the couch watching Nikolas pack.

"You're sure you're fine with this?," he asked.

"Absolutely. Nothing more important than keeping my cousin's baby safe while he's gone."

"I'd be careful about calling him a baby. He's getting to the age where that's cause for a tantrum."

"Hey, I'm at the age where I don't need a cause for a tantrum. Maybe he should be worried. Where did you say you were going again?"

"I didn't."

"And you don't want me to know because..."

"Because the less people there are that know, the safer it is for everyone."

"You're not...?" Sam shook her head as if to clear it. No. Nikolas would never be that reckless.

"What?"

"You're not going to Russia, are you? Alone? Because that would be --"

"If I ever go to Russia, you'll be the first to know."

"Good."

"I'm heading into work, and then I'll be leaving from there, so I probably won't get a chance to talk to Alexis before I leave. Tell her I'm not going to Russia."

"Will do."

_Only two more trips to go_, Nikolas thought. But first, a visit to General Hospital.

***********************************************

GreyStone. Claudia's bedroom.

Claudia looked through a catalogue of nursery furniture. She'd already been through a stack of them, circling whatever caught her eye.

She needed to do this quickly. Pretty soon she wasn't going to be agile enough to do what needed to be done.

There was a knock on the door. Sonny cracked the door open and looked in.

"I have meetings outside today. But I'll be back in time to take you to your appointment."

"Fine," she said. "What do you think of this?" She held up a photo of a crib.

"You can do better," he said.

Claudia crossed out the crib photo. Sonny left the room.

*************************************************

Johnny's Garage.

A car honked outside, and Johnny looked outside the window. A black full-size luxury Jaguar was in his driveway.

Johnny did not seem surprised.

He opened up the automated car entrance door. The Jag limped inside. With Nikolas Cassadine at the wheel.

Johnny lowered the door back down.

Nikolas turned off the car engine and got out of the car, slamming the door shut.

"What happened to you?," Johnny asked.

"Someone slashed my tire," Nikolas said. He held out a folded piece of paper. "And this was left under my windshield." Nikolas unfolded the paper. It was a flyer for Johnny's garage.

Johnny's straight face only lasted for a moment, and then his face went into full-on smirk.

"Any idea who could have done this?," Nikolas asked sarcastically.

"No," Johnny answered. But his laugh was barely contained.

"Do you have a new tire that will match?"

Johnny looked at the tire. "I could have one in a week."

Nikolas folded his arms and gave Johnny a no-nonsense look.

"You don't expect me to come out to the Island, do you?," Johnny asked. "That would raise all sorts of little flags for the Corinthos empire. This seemed like an easy compromise."

"This isn't funny, Johnny."

Johnny turned serious. "No. It isn't."

"What do you want?"

Johnny leaned against the hood of Nikolas' car. "Claudia thinks she's going to die. Do you?"

"No."

Johnny didn't say anything, but he was visibly relieved.

"I'm going out of town for a little while," Nikolas said. "I'm hoping Claudia never finds out I was gone, but if she does, let her know that I'm safe, Spencer's in town and no, I did not go to Russia."

John nodded, looked away, and then looked Nikolas in the eye. "I have to ask."

"What?"

"A few months ago, you were chasing your dead wife's twin around. And all of a sudden you care for my sister?"

"A few months ago, I was chasing a ghost. Claudia is in the real world. Claudia is not a shadow. She's not a substitute for someone. She's the person who brought me back to life as it's happening now."

Johnny still looked suspicious, but he didn't put up a fight, which was an improvement. Instead, he asked, "Is there anything I can do? To help Claudia?"

"Actually, there is. Do you think you can find a private garage, suitable for hiding a large vehicle?"

"I already have one. At Crimson Pointe."

"Good." Nikolas pulled out his wallet. Nikolas handed Johnny three crisp one hundred dollar bills. "That's for the tire. It was a pretty good idea." He pulled a dozen more hundreds out of his wallet. "Why don't you get a few more tires to keep on hand? Just in case."

***********************************************

General Hospital. Fifth floor. Late afternoon.

Nikolas looked over at the Nurses' Station.

Nurse Johnson was having a heated discussion with the nurses on shift. It was what Epiphany called "a meeting" and what the rest of the hospital called "a pile on."

Nikolas took advantage of everyone being distracted and slipped inside the first obstetrics exam room. Once inside, he went into the bathroom and waited.

***********************************************

Examination room. A short time later.

Sonny and Claudia waited for Dr. Lee in silence.

Sonny sneezed.

"You sick?," Claudia asked.

"No."

Silence. Long and painful.

Dr. Lee entered. "So we're here for an ultrasound and blood work, right?"

"Yes."

"How've you been feeling?"

Before Claudia could respond, the hospital fire alarm went off.

"What's that?," Sonny said, trying to be heard above the din.

"Fire drill," said Dr. Lee. "If you'll just come with me, Mr. Corinthos."

"We're leaving Claudia?"

"Hospital procedure. We'll be back soon."

"I'm not leaving her."

"This is a quarterly drill, Mr. Corinthos. If you don't leave now, we could be doing this on the day your baby is born. Would you to prefer to leave her then?"

Sonny leaned in close to Claudia and whispered, "Don't move. Don't try anything."

He left, followed by Dr. Lee.

**********************************************

Fifth Floor Hallway.

Sonny stood outside Claudia's door.

Nurse Johnson came over. "Mr. Corinthos: out."

"What do you mean, 'out'?"

"You need to leave the hospital. This is a drill and we have never failed one on my watch."

Sonny went to the elevator and pressed the button.

"Mr. Corinthos."

"What?"

"Stairs. You can take the elevator back up."

Sonny shrugged, muttering, went into the stairwell, and went down the stairs.

**********************************************

General Hospital. Claudia's examination room.

Claudia was alone. Strangely peaceful. No Sonny or any of his flunkies nearby.

"Hello."

She smiled and turned around. Right before he'd spoken, she'd sensed him there. Nikolas.

She kissed him, pulling away briefly to say, "Hi," and then pulling him toward her again. She began to unbutton his shirt, kissing his neck. He pulled her hands away from him, and then couldn't help himself. He snaked his arm around her waist, pulled her against him, and kissed her again. Starved of each other for so long, now that they were finally together, they couldn't get enough of each other.

When they broke apart to catch their breath, she said, "I'm not talking to you."

"You said 'Hi,'" Nikolas pointed out.

"Besides that," she said. "I'm not talking to you."

"Can we talk about that later?"

"Okay," she said, pulling him toward her.

"Wait," he said. He stepped back and pulled the examination table between him. That should hold them both. Claudia made a sound that was almost a growl. "We have to talk. We don't have a lot of time."

"What is it?"

"I did something," he said.

"What?"

"I'm changing your doctor. And your due date."

Claudia took that in. She was a little impressed, since that had been her plan A in the beginning, until she realized that even if she was able to manipulate the hospital staff and charts -- "It doesn't change the fact that no matter when it happens, Sonny's going to be glued to my side."

"Really? Where is he now?" Claudia narrowed her eyes at him. He smiled. "For now, I need you to act outraged about both things. Doctor and due date."

"Done. When does all this happen?"

"A few weeks from now."

"And Sonny won't be suspicious because..."

"Because he'll go to Robin Scorpio. And your new doctor is one of Robin's mentors."

"Does Robin know about...?"

"No. Robin has a history of telling other people's secrets." Nikolas checked his watch. Three minutes to go.

"This is illegal, Nikolas."

"So?"

"I told you I wasn't going to drag you down with me. And by the way, working with my Uncle Rudy? Not such a hot idea."

"It will be," he said.

"If you keep this up, I'm going to kill you."

"I look forward to it." He moved the examination table out of the way and moved toward her. "You really are glowing," he said. He held her face in both hands and then moved in slowly and kissed her.

"This is dangerous," she said, as they parted briefly. She pulled him back to her and kissed him again, sinking her hands in his hair.

"I should go," he said, pulling away.

"I know," she said. She touched his cheek. "Shirt," she said. "Lipstick."

He buttoned his shirt back up. Wiped his mouth with a tissue. She re-applied her lipstick. She was now pointedly _not _looking at him.

"Claudia?," he said.

"Yeah?," she said, still not looking at him.

"Look at me."

She looked at him.

"You will see me again. This is all going to work out."

He went to leave.

"Wait," she said. She went to her purse and pulled out the pen. She removed the flash drive and handed it to Nikolas. "This is the first part of you getting custody. Keep it safe."

He tucked it into his shirt pocket and kissed her again. He stepped back. She wiped his lips with a tissue. She nodded.

He left.

Within 30 seconds, the room was bustling with staff and Sonny again. It was as if Nikolas had never been there.

********************************************

Claudia's Examination Room. Minutes later.

Dr. Lee rested her hand on Claudia's belly, about to spread the conducting gel when all of a sudden she laughed. "You have a real kicker here," she said.

"Tell me about it," Claudia said. "This kid is either Beckham or Nureyev."

"Yeah?," said Dr. Lee. "Which are you hoping for?"

"Healthy."

Claudia felt Sonny staring at her. She looked up at him. What was his problem? It occurred to Claudia that Sonny hadn't felt the baby kicking. Well, that's what happens when the parents keep both feet on the floor and a safe distance between each other. She reached out for his hand. Hesitated. Then grabbed it and brought it to her belly. She moved it around, until --

"You feel that?," she asked Sonny.

"Yeah," he said, eyes welling up a little.

"He's a fighter," Claudia said and then she dropped Sonny's hand.

Dr. Lee spread the gel. She'd actually been nice this visit. Claudia wondered what was going to happen to Dr. Lee.

********************************************

The Cassadine Jet. Evening.

Nikolas buckled his seat belt. This was the trip he was least prepared for. He spoke the language, but he had no idea what kind of people he'd be dealing with.

********************************************

GreyStone. Living Room. Night.

Sonny sat at his desk, looking for a pen. He was a little disturbed. Not about the pen, but about the fact that for a few minutes there during the ultrasound, he and Claudia and the baby had felt like a real family.

Jason entered.

"Hey," Jason said.

"Hey."

"How'd things go at the hospital today?"

"Fine, fine. She's in good health. The baby's developing normal. I got a new picture, do you want to --"

"Nikolas and Claudia met today," Jason interrupted. "During the fire drill."

Sonny got up and went to the bar. He poured himself a bourbon. He threw the glass, bourbon and all, against the wall violently, and then turned to Jason. "You sure about that?"

"Yeah. You wanted him tailed. I had him tailed. That's what happened. What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know. Keep the tail on him."

"This isn't good."

"I know that. I gotta find out what it means."

Jason nodded. "I've got to get back to Dante. You going to be all right?"

"Me? I'm fine," Sonny said.

Jason left.

Sonny went to the credenza. Stared at the photo of Spencer. Claudia came down the stairs.

"Just getting some milk," she said when he looked up. She continued on her way.

Sonny stared after her.


	26. Chapter 26

Cassadine Jet.

Puerto Rico left Nikolas shaken. It was the first indication that he might not have complete control over every aspect of his plan.

It took a few days to find Javier Rivera. And then a few days more to get Rivera to speak to him. When he finally consented to speak to Nikolas, Javier Rivera had been very interested in what Nikolas had to say, and Rivera said he was onboard. But. During the whole week Nikolas was there, there were looks exchanged and whispered conversations he'd come upon that had suddenly stopped with his presence.

Uncle Rudy had been almost genteel. Of course, Uncle Rudy had a vested interest in carrying out Nikolas' plan exactly as was intended: Claudia's life was at stake. Javier Rivera didn't care about anyone but the Riveras.

Nikolas had also realized something. There was no Mob. There were dozens of mobs, in different locations, with different etiquettes and different Codes. It wasn't enough to speak the language. You had to be able to read them. And Nikolas couldn't. He would bet his island in Greece that Claudia knew how, but that road was closed to his plan.

There was one thing, however, which both factions Nikolas had met with had in common: no one felt that Sonny Corinthos had earned what he taken from them.

************************************************

GreyStone. Nursery.

The crib was so pretty no one noticed the extra three inches that had been added to the base. It looked like part of the design.

And the changing table had four boxes of diapers. Well, three. One was empty.

The crowning achievement was due to arrive on Monday. She didn't know if it was the Greek in Sonny or the Greek in Nikolas that cracked her up more, but that rocking horse with the empty belly and trap door hidden under the saddle was hilariously Trojan.

Maybe the nursery would give Sonny a little jolt every time he looked in on it. Hopefully he was human enough to feel a little guilt every time he looked in to see his wife decorating a nursery she wouldn't live to see her child inhabit. _Enjoy it,_ _Sonny. Just like you're making me "enjoy" that photo of Spencer you put out next to the ones of your children._

At least now she knew that Spinelli had been told to spy on her. Poor Spinelli. The price he was going to pay for working for the Corinthos organization was completely out of proportion to the "crime" of telling Sonny about her reaction to a picture.

Once the crib had arrived, Johnny had handed off a portable hard drive and software to her. During her next work session with Spinelli, she'd stuck Ex-Lax in his soup. It gave her the 20 minutes needed to clone Spinelli's computer. And a little time to explore. Nikolas was being tracked. Nice of him to let her know he was out of the country. Puerto Rico. She really was going to kill him. Luckily, the flight pattern report had come in while Spinelli was in the bathroom. A few keystroke commands and it now looked like Nikolas had gone to Cuba.

The software John had given her was in her gym bag. It would be tossed as soon as she reached the ladies' locker room. The hard drive -- well, Claudia now placed the hard drive and a pillow for padding into the three inch cavity in the base the crib and swung the hidden opening shut.

So no, Claudia would never get to see her baby inhabit this nursery. But she felt no guilt at all about watching a clueless Sonny look in on the room, unaware that she was filling it up with little instruments of his destruction.

************************************************

Elizabeth's House.

"How do you expect the two of us to eat all of this?"

"I don't. You have kids, don't you? Unless..."

"What?"

"You rented them. For sympathy. Hard-working, single mom -- I can see where that would give you cred when it came time for raises."

"You're right. And I just now figured out that two girls would have been better choices. So I'm waiting for them to be delivered and hoping no one notices the change."

Matt plopped two bags of breakfast bagels, fixings and pastries on the kitchen table.

Liz looked through the first bag. She picked out a cherry turnover. "I think the girls will like this. What do you think of the names Cameron and Julie for girls?"

"I think it would be awkward if the two Camerons ever met."

"The boys are at Lucky's."

"Ah."

Liz began to unpack the food and set out a reasonable amount on serving plates.

"Is this weird? For Lucky? Not that anything's going on with us. Or with Lucky. But..."

"It's okay," Liz said. "For the record, Lucky and I are very good exes who sometimes teeter on a relationship. And I don't know what's going on with me and him or me and you."

"Good," Matt said.

Liz raised her eyebrows.

"Not that it's good to be unsure forever, but it gives us wiggle room. Right?," he said.

"If you say so."

Matt shot her a look. "I'll set the table." Matt looked around the kitchen, confused.

"Middle drawer to the right of the sink."

Matt went over and started to pick out utensils.

This was nice, Liz thought. It wasn't like Lucky, where she wondered half the time if they spent time together because it was so comfortable or because they had such an extraordinary past together. Or like Jason, where they couldn't spend time together (and when they could spend time together, no one else could know). Matt was uncomplicated. For now. Although he was terrible at setting the table, she was just finding out.

She liked his sarcasm. It was always friendly, like he was inviting you in on the joke with him, instead of challenging you. And his arrogance gave her plenty of opportunities to pick on him to her heart's content. He always took it well -- either laughed, or good-naturedly exaggerated his flaws until you couldn't help laughing.

As far as she could tell, he didn't cheat or do drugs, he didn't kill people for a living (no matter what Diane Miller said), and he didn't have anyone chained up in a safe room. Not that she wasn't blameless in what had gone wrong in the past for her, and of course any relationship in Port Charles (friendship or otherwise) seemed to develop its own set of horrors as it went on, but this was so good right now. And it was good while he was experiencing something terrible like the lawsuit. Which was a good sign.

"What are you smiling at?," Matt asked.

"Spoons go on the other side. No wonder the nurses set out the surgical tools."

Matt laughed, and purposefully started putting everything in the wrong place. Dishes upside down. Cups on their side. Liz's place was soon set up with all spoons. Matt's was all forks.

Elizabeth laughed.

He liked that laugh. This was what Port Charles should have been like from the beginning. Not that he minded having a family or getting his life mixed up with Patrick's (and visa versa). But you were kinda stuck with your family. They _had_ to like you. They _had_ to let you in. It was great having someone who he knew was there because she liked him with no strings, who was there because she wanted to be. Especially Liz. How could one person be so compassionate, and then biting in a way that didn't hurt? Sometimes she didn't even have to say anything, just a little look and the two of them were cracking up.

Now if he could just get her over to his place. Just once. Not necessarily for anything other than dinner. She seemed to be avoiding Harborview Towers. At first, he thought maybe he was scaring her off by being _such_ a bachelor. Maybe she thought mold was growing in his shower or something. But she'd insisted that wasn't it. He'd assured her that all he was inviting her over for was dinner, but that didn't seem to put a dent in her resolve. The only neighbor he had who she might have remotely known was the Jason Morgan guy, but it looked like she barely knew him, so it wasn't like she was avoiding someone else in the building.

Maybe she was scared of having this turn into something more. From little things she'd said, he knew she'd been burnt pretty badly before. He was willing to wait. Liz was worth it.

************************************************

Wyndemere.

Nikolas was right. Spencer wasn't a baby anymore. Sam didn't know when it had happened, but he was now officially a full-blown person. Who was multi-lingual, apparently. His favorite language was Italian. And if Sam had any doubts about how that had happened, they vanished when a postcard arrived in the mail for Spencer from Claudia.

It looked like Spencer was familiar with these postcards. As soon as it was in his eyeline, Spencer began running toward and reaching for it.

Sam handed it to him. "Who's that from, Spencer?"

"Claudee." He handed the card back to Sam. "Read."

He certainly had that arrogant, demanding prince attitude down. Sam eyed the postmark. New York City. Right. Like Claudia had been able to get to New York without anyone noticing.

"Read."

"'Ciao, Mr. Since.' Mr. Since?"

"Me! Prinderella slopped her dripper."

Whatever that meant. "'Gyra, Gyra --"

"Gira, Gira," Spencer sang, turning around twice. He looked at Sam expectantly.

"I don't know that song, Spencer. Maybe we can do a round of The Banana Boat Song later."

"Read."

"Please."

"Read please."

"'How much did you grow today?'"

Spencer held his hands high above his head, stretching to beyond his full height.

"'I did not grow at all. I am still doing boring grown-up things. And I'm sorry I can't come home and see you yet.'"

Spencer's face fell.

"'But I'm counting on you to get in the right kind of trouble today. Did you have a sword fight?' Sword fight?"

Spencer nodded. "Read please."

"'I miss my Little Prince every day. I hope you're taking care of your daddy and making sure he behaves. Keep growing.' I can't read this part, it's in another alphabet. Maybe Aunt Alexis can read it to you when she gets home. And then she says, 'With love from Il tuo amico e collega pirata...'" Sam looked at Spencer to make sure she was getting it right.

"Pirata amico," he explained patiently. "Pirate friend."

"Oh. And here she signs her name. See? 'Claudia.'"

Spencer reached for the postcard and took it from Sam. "Mine." He toddled over to his toy chest and put the postcard inside.

************************************************

Johnny's Garage.

Johnny was replacing the Jaguar's tire when Claudia entered carrying her gym bag.

"Hey," said Johnny, glancing up and then continuing to work.

"Hey. What did I tell you about going _under_ the car?"

"I'm not going under a car every time someone visits my place of business."

"Fine. Don't blame me when you're dead. Why do you still have Nikolas' car?"

"It took awhile to get his tires in stock. Nikolas and his car are both high maintenance."

"You won't have to worry about that for much longer. Because I'm going to kill Nikolas."

"Great. One less job for me to do."

"Did you know he went out of the country?"

Johnny was silent.

"You _knew_?"

"All I know is that he wasn't in Russia. He was safe. Spencer wasn't with him. That was what I was supposed to tell you if you noticed that he was gone."

Claudia glared at Johnny.

"What?," he asked.

"I just want to make sure I understand this."

"Understand what?"

"You don't like Nikolas. You want to kill him yourself. I am your only family. I have saved your neck on more than one occasion. And somehow Nikolas asks you to keep something from me and you do?"

"Okay. First of all, I do like Nikolas. Except when he's with you. I don't want to kill him. Except when he's messing with you. And yes, you are my only family. But for every time you have saved my neck, you have also put a noose around it. Because you can't help running toward trouble when you hear about it. So yes, I kept something from you."

Claudia opened the gym bag, took out a duffle bag, and threw the duffle bag at Johnny.

"What's this?"

"That is my labor bag."

"Your what?"

"The bag that comes with me to the hospital when I go into labor."

"And I have it because..."

"Because the bag I'll be carrying will be full of other things. And I'll need the real labor bag. So you'll bring it."

"Okay."

"Don't forget it."

"Okay."

"Because it will be very awkward explaining to Sonny exactly why nothing I need for labor is in the labor bag. And it will be even more awkward explaining away the things that will be in the bag I'm bringing to the hospital."

"What will be in the bag you're bringing to the hospital?"

"You know what? I should keep that from you. Because you run toward trouble too. But there's a list in the bag that should give you a clue. It'd be great if you could have some of those items ready for me the next time I visit." She made her way back to the door, stopped, and turned to Johnny one last time. "When Nikolas comes to pick up his car, tell him he didn't go to Puerto Rico, he went to Cuba. Because that's where Spinelli's computer now says he went."

She left, slamming the door.

***********************************************

GreyStone. Nursery.

This house was too big for one man. Sonny had bought it so that his whole family could live here comfortably. The house never changed. The definition of "Sonny's family" did.

After Mike had left him as a kid, Sonny had promised himself that he'd never leave his own family. It turned out they could leave him. For a guy with so many kids, it was amazing how none of them had completed a childhood living under the same roof as him. Some of them had never lived under his roof at all.

This child would be different. This was the only child who would be completely his. There would be no mother around to rip this son from his arms, to keep this son away from him. This child would have no doubts about how much his father loved and wanted him.

Claudia was putting so much detail into the nursery that the renovations were painful to watch. She knew what was coming. She was resigned to it. So why was she putting herself through this? Maybe it was her way of getting through the last few months. Maybe it was her way of leaving something behind for her child.

Sonny sat down in the rocking chair. He thought of Alexis. Ric. Spinelli. Even Nikolas. Every adult he knew who had lacked a mother as a child had been marked by it. That wasn't something that anyone could compensate for, no matter how much their father loved them.

His guilt was assuaged by the fact that this had all started because she had tried to kill him. And had robbed Michael of a year of life. And more.

What did she expect? She knew what the rules were about children. It took a lot for someone to be the dark version of Sonny. She was it. He had no choice.

Nikolas could be a problem. What were they doing together? Aside from the obvious. Something told Sonny that that had to be figured out before the baby was born.

**********************************************

Johnny's Garage.

Unbelievable. Nikolas had been away for a week, and Johnny still had that same smirk on his face. Nikolas checked out the tire.

"Well, you got the tire right, but something tells me that's not why you've got that smug look on your face."

"You're in trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"'When Nikolas comes to pick up his car, tell him he didn't go to Puerto Rico, he went to Cuba. Because that's what I changed Spinelli's computer to say.'"

"Am I meant to find your impression of your sister amusing?"

"I guess you had to be here for the whole routine. Down to the door slam. She really wants to kill you. How did your trip go?"

"I won't know for awhile."

Johnny nodded. "Puerto Rico was Sonny's before we were in the picture. I would expect them to be a hard sell for anything Zacchara. Or Cassadine." Johnny went to the window and looked out.

"She said Damian Spinelli had my flight plans on his computer?"

"She didn't give me the finer points, but that's a good guess. And I think we'd better stop meeting like this. You're being tailed."

"She told you that?"

"No, you can see the guy from here."

Nikolas stood stock still. "One of Sonny's men?"

"I don't think so. He's not well-dressed enough for it."

"Step away from the window, Johnny." Nikolas took out his cell phone, and dialed. The call connected. "It's me. I'm back. I have a problem," he said.

************************************************

Port Charles docks.

Phil leaned against the bench. This was going to be another long night. No doubt Cassadine was on his island (_The man had his own island. How do you keep track of someone like that?_) for the rest of the day and night. Sonny had better have made his bones doing detail work like this.

Phil searched his pockets for a cigarette. He didn't hear anyone come up behind him. He didn't hear the gun get raised and aimed. And he didn't know he was being pistol-whipped until right before he lost consciousness.

"Take him to the Island. Put him in the basement. Then we can find out why my step-grandma sent him," Sam said.


	27. Chapter 27

Wyndemere. Basement.

Phil was scared out of his mind. And confused. He didn't know how long he had been down here. All he knew was that people kept coming into his room and yelling at him in a language he didn't understand. And they looked serious and angry. And seriously angry. And every so often some woman down the hall would laugh.

Working for the Corinthos organization used to be easy. You went around in packs, and intimidated people. Then all of a sudden all these foreigners came in and things got rough. And no one relieved you on a job. Used to be two of you would cover someone -- you know, either guarding someone or tailing someone or threatening someone or "collecting" money or whatnot. You could get a bite to eat when you wanted to, because you were covered. And you got a good night's sleep. It was like being in a union; unless there was big trouble, you got a solid twelve hours away from the job. Nice benefits. Then Sonny's family got bigger and bigger. Too many people to cover. Then Sonny got more suspicious. Too many people to tail. The business got bigger. People started having to threaten and "collect" on their own. And you didn't get as much free coffee as you wanted anymore. Just a few pounds at Christmas.

And now this. No one had hit him yet, but he was sure that was coming. He had a bruise the size of a lemon on the back of his head from where he'd been knocked out. Every time some new big guy came down to harass him, Phil would check him out. Was this the guy who had clocked him?

One thing was for sure. When he got out of this -- _if_ he got out of this, Phil was going straight to one of the Five Families and begging to be taken in. Cavallo always looked pretty tough. Phil would bet anything you never saw any of his men taken down. He'd start with the Cavallos. And beg hard.

*******************************************

Wyndemere. Study.

Nikolas came into the room to find Alexis waiting for him.

"Hypothetically," she said, "If there was a man in your basement right now being interrogated -- which, by the way, I refuse to believe is true because that would mean I'd have to have you arrested -- because I am the district attorney -- but if there was a man in your basement right now being interrogated, I would say he was most probably not one of Helena's people. I would say that this hypothetical man probably does not understand a word of Russian. Because I would say that hypothetically he is in fact one of Sonny's men."

Nikolas sat behind his desk, calm and collected. "I would say that you're hypothetically correct. And I would also say that he's reconsidering staying in his current position. Which suits your job just fine. It will make the citizens of Port Charles feel just a little safer."

"Hypothetically."

"Of course."

*******************************************

The Office Behind Sonny's Coffee Shop.

Claudia rooted around in the soil of the plant next to Sonny's desk. Only one day of digital recording to collect, but she never knew when she could get back here, so she might as well do this now.

Sonny and Jason looked really upset. She wasn't sure, but it seemed like someone had one-upped them at something. Which was great for her, because they were pre-occupied and it gave her more time for all the work she had to do.

Hopefully, Sonny and Jason would say something soon in this office, and she could do away with all spy equipment. For now, she had evidence that would most likely result in a large fine, and a minimal sentence, thanks to Diane Miller's legal savvy. Claudia needed something that would either put everyone away for life, or scare Diane Miller into thinking that was the most likely outcome.

Messy soil. She rued the day she'd poured out her coffee in this plant. Those were probably coffee stains of her own making on her hands right now. She removed the device from the plastic bag. Replaced the flash memory. Wiped her hand clean with a tissue and stuck the used flash memory in her bra. She hoped she didn't smell like coffee. Or soil. She re-potted the plant and the recording device. Checked the microphone attached to the inside of the desk. All clear. Now she just had to clean her hands without anyone noticing.

******************************************

Wyndemere. Basement.

"What do you have?," Nikolas asked the guard.

"He's talking now. But I can't understand him. Half the time he's talking about someone named Cavallo ripping my head off. The other half of the time he's saying that he'll nail me to the wall and then I'll be sorry."

"What does that mean?"

The guard shook his head, confused.

"Anything else?"

"Mrs. Cassadine keeps laughing. I'd tell all the guards to keep an eye on her."

Nikolas started to nod, but was interrupted by Phil shouting from his room. "Sure. Even _your_ guys get relief!"

Nikolas took out his keys, and went into Phil's room.

"You've mastered the American idiom, I see," he said to Phil. "Very clever."

"The last laugh's on you, my friend," said Phil. "You think you're free and clear? There are things in this house that nobody knows."

"Really? Such as?"

"Let me out of here and I'll tell you."

Nikolas laughed. "You're going to have to do better than that."

Phil was silent.

Nikolas left the room. Then he left the basement.

**********************************************

GreyStone.

"He's never went home, he's not out in his usual places, he hasn't called anyone. We have to do something."

"We have to put another tail on Nikolas Cassadine."

Jason was getting exasperated by Sonny. They had a little over two months to go before dealing with the Claudia situation and that was all he wanted to talk about. Meanwhile, Phil was missing and there was something off about Puerto Rico. All Sonny would say about anything not Claudia-related was "Look into it."

It looked like Phil was going to be another thing Jason would have to look into.

"What's going on?," Claudia said, standing at the living room door.

Sonny looked at his watch. "Where've you been?"

"Gym. Then the office. Uncle Rudy had a question about the Rome shipment that I couldn't answer. Do you have a minute?"

"Not now."

"Okay," Claudia said. She had reached the bottom of the stairs and was looking up at the top like it was Mount Everest.

Jason went to her side. "Give me the bag."

Claudia looked suspiciously at Jason.

"Give me the bag. I'll take it upstairs for you."

Claudia studied Jason. She gave him the bag. "Chivalry is not dead. Thank you."

Jason was silent. Then he began making his way up the stairs with the bag. Claudia followed him.

Sonny watched Claudia. She looked very tired. "Claudia."

She turned to look at him. "What?"

"You drinking enough water?"

"Yes, master."

She really was tired. She only got feisty these days when she didn't have the energy to contain herself.

Claudia finished making her way up the stairs. She took the bag from Jason and went into her bedroom.

************************************************

Wyndemere. The study.

Alexis and Sam sat waiting for Nikolas.

"I think I'm going to move back to my place soon," Sam said.

"I don't blame you," said Alexis. "If I had your self-defense training, I'd be right behind you."

"Don't get me wrong. I love being with you and the girls. And Spencer and Nikolas. But..."

"Too much family and too much gothic furniture."

"Right."

"See? Not so great being a Cassadine princess. Just think, it could be worse. If we're all eliminated one by one and you're left holding the Heir bag, this could be your life."

Nikolas came in.

He sat down across from Alexis and Sam.

"I have to go to Russia," he said. "Alone."

"Are you out of your mind?," Sam asked.

Nikolas just stared at her.

"Nikolas," Alexis gently said, drawing his attention. "Why alone?"

"I'm going to be doing some business that requires me to be alone. I want whomever I run into to not perceive me as a threat. And I want all of you safe."

"We all agreed that we don't know who we're looking for. And we don't know what kind of reinforcements he has. And Claudia says he's dangerous."

At that, Sam's head whirled toward Alexis. "When did you talk to Claudia?"

Alexis shook her head at Sam, and continued with Nikolas, "All right. I can understand you not wanting to be in limbo. But don't you think it would be wise to have a plan?"

"I have a plan. I'm just not sharing it."

"Why?"

"Because the less people there are who know about what I'm up to, the less danger I'm in."

Sam interrupted, "Actually, I think that's wrong. I think the more people who know what you're up to, the safer you'll be. Just saying. With this one thing."

The room grew silent.

"All right," said Alexis. "If you're bound and determined to do this, just listen to me. This is the information Claudia put together -- and I think she's right: He's 44. He probably did not know he was a Cassadine until we changed the line of succession. And Claudia thinks he's dangerous because he's working with Helena, which, she says, means he wants the power for himself or he's been brainwashed. All right?"

"All right."

"And you should let us know how to get in touch with you."

"I'll be available by phone."

"No matter what?," Sam asked.

"No matter what," Nikolas said. "Just remember: it's imperative that no one knows where I am. Just you two."

***********************************************

Johnny's Garage.

Johnny worked on a carburetor by a single worklight. There was a knock on his door. He doubted a murderer would knock first.

"Come in!"

Olivia came in. Johnny turned back to the carburetor.

"I know you're upset," she said. "I understand why. There is no excuse for what happened the night of the car accident. But I need your help."

Johnny did not look at her. "Yeah?"

"Dante has been missing. For months. Sonny won't tell me anything. I need to know that he's okay. I need to know that he's alive."

Claudia had said to not close the door on Olivia. She had said they might need Olivia later. And yeah, he cared about that. But her voice sounded broken. And that was what he cared most about. Johnny looked at Olivia. "I don't know where he is," he said. "I don't know how he is. But I'll help you."

************************************************

Port Charles docks. Night.

The launch landed and Sam got off. Jason was waiting.

"What's up?," said Sam, but she looked distracted.

"Do you have one of my men on Spoon Island?"

"I don't know. Why would we?" She checked her watch.

"Sam. Look at me. This is important."

"Then answer my question. Why would we have one of your men on Spoon Island?"

"You know why. Because he was following Nikolas and he probably got caught."

"Why was he following Nikolas?"

"So you do have him."

"I didn't say that. I asked why you would have someone following Nikolas."

"Because Nikolas is up to something with Claudia Zacchara."

Sam sat down on a bench. "Come here," she said to Jason.

Jason sat down next to her.

"I can't do anything about your guy until Nikolas is ready to deal," she said. "Which will probably be soon, but I don't know for sure. I can tell you this. Claudia is helping Nikolas with Helena. As far as I can tell, Claudia likes Nikolas, she loves Spencer, and she wants to make sure they're safe. I have been living with Nikolas. And that's all I've gotten. You need to back off. In fact, if Sonny wasn't so sensitive, we probably would've caught the guy we're looking for already, between Claudia, Alexis, me and Nikolas."

"I don't think that's it."

"Well, there's only one way to find out. Wait it out. You and I both knew the consequences of Sonny finding out about Michael and Claudia. And you went ahead and told him. She's got, what, two months? What does he care about two months? You know what I think of all this. I think killing Claudia is overkill. But it's his call now. Because you let it be. And now I'm going to give you some advice. Are you listening?"

"Yeah."

"Leave Nikolas alone. You're interfering in things that could end up with my entire family dead. Anyone with Cassadine blood. And if we don't end up dead, and you interfered? Then I'm sure whoever survives is going to make you very, very sorry. And I'm not threatening you. I'm just saying this whole Cassadine Empire is bigger than you ever imagined. I know what I've seen staying on the Island. You do not want to go up against it."

*******************************************************

Cassadine Jet.

The jet was ready for takeoff. They had one stopover for re-fueling, but the total trip would take ten and a half hours. And then he'd be in Russia.

He'd lied to Alexis. He shouldn't be going alone. He was unprepared for anything Cassadine. But this was the last step, the key to making sure Claudia lived. So he had to go now. The only life he was risking was his own.

******************************************************

Port Charles Airport.

A tall, dark man spoke furtively into his cell phone. "Он оставляет для России. Я буду следовать. Скажи ей." _He leaves for Russia. I will follow. Tell her._ The man hung up. He would need to get to New York City as soon as possible. And find a flight.

*****************************************************

Wyndemere. Basement.

The guard unlocked Helena's door.

"Your grandson is leaving for Russia now. The contact said he'd follow. Are you ready?"

"Not now," Helena said. "You may let me out when the contact reaches Russia. Not before."


	28. Chapter 28

General Hospital. Obstetrics examination room. Morning.

Sonny was running late. Claudia hoped he wouldn't miss all the action. She hated repeating performances. She had a feeling that today was the day.

All of her worrying was for nothing. Sonny was the first person to join her in the room.

He glanced around at the otherwise empty room.

"What's going on?," he asked.

"Why?," she asked. "Do you have somewhere else to be? Another child get sprung on you?"

"Hey. We don't discuss my children."

"Whatever you say, Fonzie. But that'll be interesting -- raising a child together and not discussing him."

"That's enough, Claudia."

So much for poking at the elephant in the room. Claudia was quiet for a moment. "Help me up?," she asked.

Sonny helped her off the examination table.

Claudia poured herself a glass of water.

Sonny started poking around the room. Looking in the bathroom. Into cabinets.

"Lose something?," she asked.

The door opened. Dr. Waters entered.

"Oh, good," Claudia said. "Do you know how much longer Dr. Lee is going to be? My husband is running out of doors to open."

"Mr. and Mrs. Corinthos?"

"That's us," Sonny said, closing the last cabinet door.

"My name is Dr. Waters. Dr. Lee has been awarded a fellowship in advanced Gynecologic Oncology from the Mayo Clinic. I will be taking her place until her position has been filled."

Sonny turned on Claudia. "What did you do?"

"What did _I _do? Do I look like I award medical fellowships?"

"No," he said, leaning in and whispering. "But I bet your boyfriend does."

Claudia ignored Sonny. "Where did you go to medical school?" Just bordering on interrogation.

"Johns Hopkins. And I taught medicine at La Sorbonne, until I left to go into private practice in --"

"La Sorbonne?," Sonny echoed.

"Yes, Mr. Corinthos."

Claudia was now staring at Sonny, giving him her best suspicious glare. "Okay. I see what's happening," she said.

"I beg your pardon," Dr. Waters said.

Claudia turned her gaze to Dr. Waters. "You work this out between the two of you? What? Did Sonny say he'd act all suspicious, and then welcome you with open arms, and meanwhile you're both in collusion to take --"

"I'll be right back," Sonny said. He left the room, leaving Claudia and Dr. Waters alone.

"This will probably take a few minutes," Claudia said. "Would you like to do the exam now?"

***************************************************

Sonny found Robin at the 3rd floor nurses' station.

"Do you have a minute?"

"Sure. What's wrong?

"Who's Dr. Waters?"

"Oh, is he taking over Claudia's case? That's amazing."

"You knew about this?"

"We had a staff meeting on Tuesday. And then a bunch of us went out drinking to celebrate Kelly's new fellowship."

"So who's Dr. Waters?"

"He's the best."

********************************************************

Claudia's Examination Room.

Dr. Waters was finishing up the ultrasound when Sonny returned.

"He's good," Sonny said to Claudia.

"Yeah. For you," Claudia said.

"He taught Robin. He checks out."

"For you."

"Could you excuse us for a moment, doc?"

Dr. Waters handed a towelette to Claudia. "Actually, I've come across some inconsistencies that I'd like to discuss with you both."

"I'll bet," said Claudia, wiping the gel from her belly.

"Is the baby okay?," Sonny asked.

"Yes, the baby's fine. It's the due date that's off."

"What?," said Claudia.

"How do you mean, the due date's off?"

"The measurements of the fetus indicate that your child will be born at least three weeks later than we had originally anticipated."

"Uh huh," Claudia said skeptically.

"It's common practice these days to give a 'due week' instead of a 'due date.' But again, according to the size of the fetus, and the records I've received from Dr. Lee, all of Dr. Lee's previous calculations were off."

"And yet somehow she won a fellowship," Claudia said.

"Thank you, doctor," Sonny said.

Dr. Waters nodded. "I'll have the blood work done in an hour. You can call in for the results." Dr. Waters left the room.

"He checks out, Claudia."

"Yeah. Sure. Okay," Claudia said. She couldn't resist one more poke. "At least you changed it to later. I get to live three more weeks."

************************************

Moscow.

Nikolas entered the restaurant alone. As he approached the manager, he was pulled aside by a tall, gaunt man who was dressed impeccably.

"Mr. Cassadine?," the man said in Russian. "This way."

He led Nikolas into what appeared to be a large closet. He gestured to Nikolas. Nikolas raised his arms, and was patted down.

"Very good," said the man. "Come."

He opened a hidden door at the back of the closet and led Nikolas down a hallway. At the end of the hallway was a door.

The man knocked three times. The door opened and Nikolas was ushered in.

There was a large table. A man with piercing blue eyes sat at the head. There were men on either side of the table. The man at the head of the table nodded to the man who had brought Nikolas in. The tall, gaunt man left and closed the door behind him.

"You show good faith, Mr. Cassadine," the man with the piercing blue eyes said in Russian. "You come alone. Unarmed."

"A life is at stake," Nikolas said. "I know you have lost people in this battle too. I hope you understand why I have come."

"Please," said the man. "Sit."

Nikolas took the seat at the other end of the table. He noticed that none of the other men had spoken.

"You have heard of _vory v zakone?," _the man said.

"Yes," Nikolas answered. "You must know, however, that I have never had to abide by it. But I have never had to live in your world."

"You're in our world now," said the man.

***************************************************

Wyndemere. The Davis Family's quarters.

Kristina shoved the last of her books into her backpack.

Alexis came into the room.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Kristina, but there will be no school today."

"Really?" Kristina's face lit up.

"That's the good news. The bad news is that you will be stuck with here. With me. And your sister. Please don't overwhelm me with your enthusiasm. We've got family trouble."

"When _don't_ we have family trouble?," Kristina muttered, dumping her backpack on the couch.

***********************************

Wyndemere. Dining Room.

Spencer picked up his spoon and attempted to engage his nanny in a spoon sword fight.

"There'll be none of that today, Spencer," the nanny said.

"Where's Daddy?"

"Your father is away on business. He told you that. But he did leave you a new book. Do you want book or toys first?"

"Toys."

"Very well. Let's start in the living room."

"Okay."

***********************************

Международный Аэропорт Шереметьево. _Sheremetyevo International Airport_. Just outside of Moscow.

The tall, dark man from the Port Charles airport disembarked and turned on his cell phone. He dialed. The call connected.

"Я в России. Вы можете начать," he said. _ I am in Russia. You may begin._

He hung up.

***********************************

Wyndemere Basement.

Sam was feeling a little bad for Phil. It was way past time for Phil to know that they didn't think he was a Russian spy. Sam didn't think Nikolas would have let this go on as long as it had if he'd stuck around in Port Charles.

When she got to the hallway where Phil and Helena's rooms were, something was off.

No guard.

Sam rushed to Helena's room. Empty.

"Now will you listen to me?," Phil called out plaintively. "Something is going on in this house!"

*******************

Wyndemere. The Living Room.

When Sam reached the living room, the nanny's lifeless body was lying outside in a pool of blood. Throat slit.

Sam heard a woman's voice from inside the room. "Hello, Spencer."

"Γειά." _Hello_.

Sam drew her gun and opened the door slowly and silently.

"Come give your grandmother a proper 'Hello,'" Helena said, holding a glittering silver knife at her side.

Spencer stood up, but looked hesitant. _Good boy,_ Sam thought, _Stay where you are._

"Come, come," Helena said, gesturing Spencer toward her with her knife. "You must be confident, Spencer. How else are you to become a prince?"

"I'll tell you how he becomes a prince," Sam said from the doorway, with a gun leveled at Helena. "He stays here. With his father. And with people who aren't half-wacked out of their minds."

"Spencer," Helena said sweetly. "Come here."

"Stay where you are, honey," Sam said.

Spencer looked from one woman to the other, trying to decide what to do.

*************************************

Moscow. The Restaurant.

"If you hear from me," Nikolas said. "The plan has been compromised. Most likely I am being threatened. I do not know what the others plan to do in that case. I suspect Milan will continue with more force. I do not know about Puerto Rico. But if the message comes through the correct channel, and you proceed, there is no reason for this plan to fail."

"Why come to us?," asked the man with the piercing blue eyes, whose name, it turned out, was Sergei Molotkoff. "Would you not be better served by colleagues you can trust?"

"There is a child at stake," Nikolas said. "A baby."

"Yours?"

"In the ways that are most important, he is. It is only by this plan that the child is guaranteed a long life."

"Are you familiar with a man by the name of Andrei Karpov?"

"Yes."

"We suspect he died at the hands of Sonny Corinthos. He left behind a child."

But the thought was not to be finished. At that moment, the door to the room opened, and the tall, dark man from the Port Charles Airport burst in. Carrying a gun. It was pointed at Nikolas.

Nikolas' heart began beating at twice its normal speed. This man was about 44. He had the chiseled cheekbones of Stavros. And the cold eyes of Mikkos. And he was flanked by two other men.

*************************************

Wyndemere. Living Room.

Spencer appeared to be stuck. And speechless. That concerned Sam. She had already walked over the nanny's body to get into the living room, and she was worried about what Spencer might have seen. She did not want a repeat of Diego and Kristina.

Helena took a step toward Spencer.

"Not so fast," Sam said. She held out her gun, pointed at Helena. She circled around Helena until she had reached Spencer. And then she put Spencer behind her, shielding him from Helena.

She glanced at Spencer. He looked present, but was still quiet.

"Problems?" Helena's guard/flunkie was at the door with a gun. It was trained at Sam.

Sam had a split-second decision to make. She aimed for the person with the gun. She got him.

Helena slipped out of the room.

Sam picked up Spencer. "Close your eyes, Spencer. Close your eyes." Spencer closed his eyes. "Good boy. Keep 'em closed."

She carried Spencer from the room.

***********************************************************

"You have business here?," Molotkoff asked Nikolas' uncle.

"I am Dimitri Cassadine. I have no business with you. My business is with him. Nikolas Mikhail Stavrosovich Cassadine."

"What business is that?"

"It is a private, family matter."

"You," Molotkoff tilted his head at Nikolas. "You were expecting this?"

"I was hoping to avoid it."

"But you knew it was possibility."

"Not like this. I thought afterward."

Molotkoff nodded. He looked at Dimitri. "Mr. Nikolas Cassadine has an offer on the table. Why should we give him over to you?"

"Whatever he offers, I can give more."

"You are a fool."

Dimitri raised himself up to his full height. "Look at him," he said, indicating Nikolas. "He comes with no one. He does not respect you enough to fear you. He comes unprotected."

"You respect us?"

"Yes."

"And yet you must have killed my guard to get in here."

"Give me Nikolas Cassadine and there will be no more bloodshed."

"Tell me, Mr. Dimitri Cassadine, what do you see when you look around this table?"

"I see one man who has reached his end. And the rest I see as new allies. If you are smart."

"If you were smart, you would have looked around this table and seen death," said Molotkoff. And with that, the man closest to the door raised a gun and shot Dimitri Cassadine dead, while two other men appeared behind Dimitri's flunkies and shot them dead.

Nikolas' heart began to race even faster.

"Perhaps," said Molotkoff, "It would be best for you to leave, Mr. Cassadine. And we will talk again after the plan has been executed, and the child is safe."

Nikolas nodded. He left the room, hoping he wasn't betraying the complete inner meltdown going on inside of him.

*************************************

Wyndemere. The Davis Family's quarters.

"So everyone's accounted for," Alexis said.

"Yes," said Sam. "But I don't know where Helena went."

Molly was trying to engage Spencer in a game of make believe with her dolls, while Kristina was talking on her phone to someone -- probably Michael.

When Sam had first brought Spencer in, he'd asked quietly for his father more than once. Then he'd asked for his nanny. Then "Gramma Laura." And then he asked where Claudia was. When he understood that none of them would be there any time soon, he gave up and stopped talking.

"Alexis," Sam said. Alexis looked at Sam. Sam lowered her voice. "I don't know how much Spencer saw and how much he understood. I don't know if he saw the nanny murdered. I know he saw me shoot the guard, but I don't know if he understands what happened."

Images and voices flashed through Alexis' head: Helena murdering her mother, Alexis hiding her sister, Alexis' daughter catatonic. _Did he see anything?_

"We should get him to General Hospital. Get him checked out."

_I had to get her off-balance. Spencer was coming. Did he see anything?_

"Oh my God," Alexis said.

"What?," Sam asked.

"I know where Helena is headed."

************************************

Nikolas was on his way to the jet when his phone rang. Alexis. He picked up. "You don't have to tell me. I've already met him. ... My uncle. ... He's dead. Long story. ... Why _are_ you calling? ... When? ... I'm on my way home."

Nikolas slammed his phone shut and broke into a sprint.

************************************

GreyStone.

Sonny wasn't picking up his phone. So Claudia had one guard and herself. That was it.

_Russia. And no one had heard from him. Stop that. Focus on right now._

Alexis said reinforcements were coming. Claudia prayed it wasn't the police; they were notoriously incompetent.

There was a sound from outside.

Claudia nodded to the guard. He stepped toward the living room doors as Claudia moved toward the credenza where a gun was hidden inside. The guard opened the doors and Helena was there with a gun. He didn't have a chance. Helena shot him dead.

Claudia ran over all of her options in her head. Gun in credenza would take too much time. Desk? Helena was probably expecting it. Claudia was out in the open and exposed. She had no choice but to work with what she had.

"Why so quiet, Mrs. Corinthos?," Helena said. "You were so willing to engage in conversation last time."

"I'm just a little impressed," Claudia said, approaching Helena with a cool, steady, slow walk. She noticed Helena still had that gunshot wound. Luckily it was on her trigger shoulder.

"You're finally showing some sense, although still not in the area of fashion, I'm afraid," Helena retorted.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so quick to preen, Grandma. I'm just amazed that here I thought the thickest, most incompetent killer to ever walk in heels would never take any of my sound and practiced advice. And yet here you are without a stiletto."

"I wouldn't be so quick to antagonize me, Mrs. Corinthos," Helena said. "You're goading for two now." She pointed her gun at Claudia's stomach.

"I have to say," Claudia went on. "I'm flattered that you'd come to me first. Don't you have a collection of Cassadines to dispose of?"

Claudia suddenly fell to a crouch on the floor and reached for the guard's gun. And that's when Helena shot her.


	29. Chapter 29

GreyStone.

Claudia didn't miss a beat. She grabbed the guard's gun and aimed at Helena.

"Claudia!" A voice from the front door distracted Claudia.

"In here!"

Helena slipped past Claudia and hurried to the patio doors.

"Having a little trouble?," Helena said. "I hear anemia isn't good for the expectant mother." Helena took another shot at Claudia and missed.

Claudia heard the front door being broken down.

She knew it was pointless to try to get up. She took a shot at Helena. And missed. The blood was dripping down her arm and made the gun slippery. She switched hands. And fired. And fired. And fired. And fired. Helena slipped through what remained of the doors.

"Claudia."

Jason was behind her. He stepped over the guard's body.

"Out through the patio," she said.

"You okay?"

"Go. Go."

Claudia lay down on the floor. This was the most ridiculous pregnancy ever. If she ever needed more proof that a child shouldn't be brought into her world, this was it.

"Claudia!"

Sam hurried into the room. She took off her jacket and pressed it to Claudia's wound.

"Did you find Nikolas?"

"Nikolas is fine," Sam said. "Our uncle is dead."

Claudia's head fell back in relief.

Sam grabbed the phone and dialed 911.

"Yeah, I've got a pregnant woman here with a..."

"Surface wound to the upper arm. Gunshot."

"You heard that?"

There were sirens in the background as Sam continued. Great. Just what she needed. Police.

**********************

General Hospital. Emergency Room.

Claudia was wheeled inside, followed by Sam and Lucky.

Epiphany motioned to the EMT. "Trauma One."

Sam went to the front desk to give information. Lucky followed Claudia's gurney.

"I need to ask a few questions," Lucky said.

"Uh huh."

The EMTs left the room.

"This is twice that you've met up with Helena."

"If that's what you want to call it."

"I think it's an amazing coincidence that each time you meet, one of you is injured with only a surface wound, and this time Helena gets away."

"You think I'd risk my baby for Helena?," Claudia asked. "You really are the village idiot."

Matt poked his head inside. "Right with you," he said. He was about to leave and noticed Lucky. "You. Out." Maybe he'd better stay with Mrs. Corinthos, Matt thought.

Matt came inside, took off the makeshift dressing on Claudia's upper arm, and examined her wound.

"I'm questioning a witness," Lucky said.

"I'm sorry, did you think she was a witness?" Matt got out some disinfectant. "Because if you did, we have a huge misunderstanding here. This woman is not a witness. She's a patient." He disinfected the wound, saying "Sorry," to Claudia. "She's my patient. Out."

Lucky reluctantly left.

"Thanks," said Claudia.

"He was horning in on my domain. This definitely has to be stitched up." Matt felt around Claudia's belly. "You fall on the baby?"

"No," Claudia said.

"Good."

Liz stuck her head in the room. "You need anything?"

"Get a transfusion in here. Straight red-blood-cell, no plasma, but check on our plasma supply just in case. And some fluids would be good too." Liz nodded. "Wait." He picked up Claudia's chart. Opened it. "Wow. You're here a lot. Ever consider a lifestyle change?"

Claudia narrowed her eyes at him.

Matt handed the chart to Liz. "We should be good on her blood type, but check it. See if her doctor's in; if he's not, check who's on-call and get an exam room ready upstairs."

Liz took the chart and left.

Sonny rushed into the room. "What happened? How's the baby?"

Matt looked at Claudia. "Should _he_ be here?"

"Yeah."

"I'm her husband."

"Okay," Matt said. "You two can catch up in just a minute."

Liz brought in two IV bags, and began to look for a vein.

Matt sat down next to Claudia. "You have a surface wound."

"You needed a degree to tell me that?"

"By the size of the wound, and the veins affected, I don't think you'll need much of a transfusion. But we're putting a red-blood-cell IV transfusion and fluids into you just to be safe. Now, if this were serious, we'd be putting you on blood plasma. It's more concentrated, but it's kept frozen, so it takes some time to get it defrosted. I don't think you need it, but we're making sure we're prepared just in case."

Claudia nodded.

Liz hooked the I.V.s into Claudia.

"Any faintness?," Matt asked.

"No."

"Pain or cramping with the baby?"

"No."

"Good. I'm going to stitch you up -- should take a minute or two -- and then we're going to get you upstairs where an OBGyn can take a look at you."

"Thank you."

Matt opened up a drawer.

************************

General Hospital. Fifth floor.

Dr. Waters walked Sonny and Claudia out of the exam room.

"Just take it easy for the next week and we'll re-evaluate at your next visit," he said.

"But everything's progressing normal?," Sonny asked.

"Yes."

Dr. Waters left.

Claudia turned to Sonny. "We have to have a talk about guns," she said.

"You know why you don't have a gun."

"Your alternative doesn't work. The baby could have died."

"I would say that that's the Cassadines' fault. Tell you what: when I can believe you won't ever hold a gun on me again, you'll get your guns back. Until then, everything in the house is locked up and you can depend on your guard."

"Yes, that worked very well tonight," Claudia said sarcastically.

Jason came up behind Sonny. "Sonny." Sonny turned around. "Can I talk to you?"

"Will you be all right?," Sonny asked Claudia.

"Does it matter?," she asked. She waved him away.

Claudia wandered down the hall. She saw Dr. Quartermaine giving her a dirty look. What a great hospital. Always making sure the patient feels comfortable.

The door to the Pediatric Psychiatry Exam room opened. Alexis came out with Dr. Winters.

Alexis saw Claudia and said something to Dr. Winters. Then Alexis came over to Claudia.

Sonny hurried over. "What's going on? Is it Kristina?"

"No," Alexis said. She swallowed hard and turned to Claudia. "Claudia."

Dawning horror. "No," Claudia said.

"Listen to me," Alexis said.

Claudia sank into a seat.

"He's not hurt physically. But he's not being responsive. He's not verbal. And you know Spencer. That's not like him."

Claudia looked up into Alexis' eyes. "What happened? Tell me."

Alexis sat next to Claudia.

"We don't know what happened. Sam found Helena with Spencer."

Claudia's took a deep breath and shook her head to clear it. She steeled herself.

"Helena never touched Spencer," Alexis said. "But Spencer's nanny was found right outside the living room. Where Spencer was."

"What was it?"

Alexis' eyes filled with tears. "Slit throat."

Claudia turned her head away from Alexis.

Alexis began to cry, and she quickly brushed away her own tears. "He did see Helena's guard get shot. We know that much. He asked for Nikolas. He asked for his nanny. He asked for Laura. And he asked for you. And he hasn't said anything substantial since."

"Mrs. Corinthos." Dr. Winters had joined them. "We can't tell what's going on inside Spencer until we know what he saw."

"Take me to him," Claudia said.

********************************************

Pediatric Psychiatry Examination Room.

Alexis went in ahead of Claudia.

"Spencer?," she said. "You have a visitor."

Claudia took a deep breath and left Dr. Winters and Sonny outside at the observation window.

She went into the room.

"Ciao, Mr. Since," she said. Spencer looked up at her and then went back to playing with the toys on the floor.

Alexis and Claudia exchanged a look.

Through the observation window, Sonny and Dr. Winters watched and listened.

Claudia went over to Spencer.

"Spencer, are you okay?"

She put her hand on his arm and he pulled away, petulantly. Claudia's face softened with a realization.

"Spencer? Are you mad at me?," she asked him, carefully lowering herself to the floor. "I can understand you being angry. Mi ha fatto molto male. I was very bad. And not in a good way. I shouldn't have left without saying good-bye."

Spencer didn't say anything and didn't look at her.

"I'm a bad pirate friend. Хотите кричат на меня?" _Want to yell at me?_ "That's okay. You can be mean any old way you want to. I promise I'll like you no matter what."

"Maybe he's just tired," Alexis said. "Spencer, are you tired?"

"No!," he said.

"I recognize that voice," Claudia said. "Spencer, are you not talking to me? Vuoi mi congedo da voi?" _Would you like me to leave?_

Outside, Sonny turned to Dr. Winters. "This isn't working," he said. "She's had rough day. She's pregnant. I'm going to take her home."

Sonny went inside the room.

"Hey there, Spencer. It's Uncle Sonny." Spencer didn't acknowledge Sonny. "Come on, Claudia. I think it's time to go."

Spencer was on his feet in an instant, rushing toward Sonny.

"No!," he said,pushing against Sonny's legs. "You go!," he said, shouting at Sonny. "You go now!"

"Spencer!," Claudia said.

Spencer turned and ran to Claudia. "Claudee!" He hugged her tightly, sobbing. "You stay. You stay."

"I'll stay, of course I'll stay," she said, kissing the top of his head. "I'm staying. Okay?"

Spencer looked at Sonny. "You go now!"

Sonny looked at Claudia. "You need your rest."

Claudia whispered in Spencer's ear, so only he could hear, "I need my Little Prince." He hugged her tighter. She looked up at Sonny. "I'm here as long as Spencer needs me."

Sonny left the room.

Claudia nodded at Alexis. Alexis joined them on the floor.

Spencer grabbed Alexis' hand in his small one.

Spencer put the thumb of his free hand into his mouth and rested his head against Claudia's belly. Claudia kissed the top of his head again.

And just then, the baby kicked.

Spencer looked up at Claudia in surprise, his mouth forming a perfect "O."

Claudia laughed. "It's okay, little man. I have a baby inside me. He's just saying hello. This is how he talks to you. Он должен, как ты. " _He must like you._

Spencer pulled his thumb out of his mouth and went to hit Claudia's belly. Alexis caught his arm just in time.

"No, no, Spencer. The baby _can't_ talk any other way right now," Alexis said.

"It's better if _you_ talk to him using words," Claudia said. "This way when he finally comes out, he'll know your voice."

"Si tratta di un ragazzo? ," Spencer asked. _This is a boy?_

"Sì."

The same thought occurred to Alexis and Claudia at the same time. They looked at each other and then shrugged as if to say, "It's worth a try."

"Spencer?," Alexis began.

"Why don't you tell the baby what happened today?," Claudia chimed in.

"What a wonderful idea!," Alexis said.

Spencer looked from Alexis to Claudia skeptically.

"Come on," said Claudia. "The baby is stuck in there all day listening to me do boring things. Don't you want to help him out?"

Spencer looked from Claudia to Alexis now. "Εντάξει." _Okay_.

"Buono!," said Claudia.

"How about you start with after breakfast?," Alexis suggested helpfully.

"After breakfast..."

"Into the belly," Claudia said.

Spencer bent his head down to Claudia's belly. "After breakfast I go to my toys."

"In the living room?," Claudia asked.

Spencer nodded and then bent down the belly as if he were speaking into a microphone. "Sì."

"Then what happened?," asked Alexis.

"Nanny goes to get my book."

"In the living room?"

"She goes out."

"Did she come back in?," asked Claudia. Claudia and Alexis both tensed up in anticipation of the answer.

"Όχι.," Spencer said. _No_. Alexis and Claudia shared a look of relief over Spencer's head. Claudia shook her head no at the one-way mirror.

"And then what?," Alexis asked.

"The other lady comes with a silver stick. And then Sam comes. And then the man comes. And then the lady with the silver stick runs away and Sam points the black stick at the man and he falls."

Spencer took a deep breath, getting ready for the next round, and rested his hand on Claudia's belly. The baby kicked again.

"Wow," Spencer said.

"He really likes you," Claudia said.

************************************************

Dr. Winters' Office. Later.

Spencer was asleep in Claudia's arms. Alexis and Dr. Winters sat on either side of them, while Sonny stood by the open door.

"I think he'll be okay. You'll want to watch out for when he gets older, when he might have questions about what he saw."

Claudia barely heard a word that Dr. Winters was saying. Spencer was warm against her, and he was breathing the type of slow breath that comes when someone is fast asleep. She was going to have to leave him again. God help her, she didn't know how she was going to do it.

She felt Sonny staring at her from the doorway. So what? So she cared about Spencer. She had stayed on Spoon Island. What was she supposed to have done -- ignore the boy?

"Stella stellina la notte si avvicina: la fiamma traballa," Claudia sang softly. "La mucca é nella stalla..."

Her voice trailed off when she looked up and saw Nikolas standing behind Sonny.

He was staring at her and Spencer. He looked shaken.

The whole room became quiet, watching them and waiting.

Claudia struggled to get up with Spencer in her arms. Nikolas hurried over and took Spencer from her. Alexis helped Claudia up.

"Thank you," Nikolas said to Claudia. He looked at her bandage and it took every bit of energy he had left not to lose it. Claudia looked at him. She looked angry. He moved toward her and she moved away from him.

He turned from her.

Claudia looked at Spencer. Her heart grew heavy. "Wait," she said.

Nikolas turned back to her.

"I want to say good-bye this time." She came over and gently shook Spencer. "Piccolo amico," she whispered. "Wake up, Spencer." Spencer woke up slowly.

"Ciao, Claudee," he said.

"Spencer, I have to go."

"No," he said.

"I do," she said. "But I want to say good-bye." She kissed the top of his head. "I have to go away again."

"No, no. Stay."

"Oh, I wish I could," she said. "I miss you so much when I'm away."

"You come back?"

Claudia had pulled off a lot of lies, half-truths, lies of omission, you name it -- if it was related to a lie, Claudia had done it. Done it well. But she didn't think she could outright lie about this to a three year-old. Great. A three-year-old and Nikolas. She'd found her Achilles heel a couple of months before she had to die.

"I don't know," she said. "But I'd much rather be with you. Can you make me a promise?"

"What?"

"I think you're going to meet my baby someday. And he may not remember everything you've told him. But I think he'll still like you just as much as he did today. So if you could teach him some of the songs we --" She caught herself right before her voice started to wobble. "I would very much like you to teach him some of our songs and games. Can you do that?"

"Gira, Gira," Spencer said, yawning.

"Buono," said Claudia. "Gira, Gira." She brushed his hair back from his face as his eyes closed. "Stay safe." She kissed the top of his head again and hurried out without looking at Nikolas.

Sonny looked at Alexis. "I want to see Kristina tonight."

Alexis nodded.

Sonny left.

Nikolas felt like he had lost Claudia. When he turned back to talk to Dr. Winters, he caught Alexis staring at him.

***************************************************

GreyStone. Living Room.

The patio doors had been boarded up by the time Claudia and Sonny got home. The living room itself had been a little harder to clean, and there were bloodstains in the carpet that would need to be taken care of.

Claudia went to the stairs.

"Claudia," Sonny said. "Wait a minute. Have a seat."

Claudia eyed him, and then walked over to the couch and sat down.

Sonny poured her a glass of water and then sat down next to her. He handed her the water.

"Thank you," she said.

"Spencer is my sister's son."

"I know."

Sonny did not want to like Claudia. The next few months hinged on him not caring.

"Helena. Why did she come after you?"

"Payback. I think."

"What's that mean?"

"It means the last time Helena and I met, I gave her a little something to remember me by. Today she returned the favor."

Sonny patted Claudia's knee. She looked at him like he had a third eye.

Johnny rushed into the room.

"What happened?," he said.

Sonny stood up. "I better go check on Kristina. Talk with your brother awhile, and I'll see you later."

Sonny left the room.

Johnny sat down next to Claudia and hugged her. She hugged him back tightly.

He pulled back and said, "What? You felt that life wasn't challenging enough without taking on a sociopath a second time?"

"Piece of cake," Claudia said. "Next to Daddy."

************************

Kelly's Diner.

Sam and Lucky waited at a table.

Jason entered. He sat down at their table.

"What do you have?," Lucky asked.

"Did Helena say anything to you?," Jason asked Sam.

"I'm sorry, Jason," she said. "We didn't have time to chitchat. She had a knife on my cousin, and then her henchman came in -- it wasn't very talky. Although she did seem to want to butter Spencer up. That was creepy."

Jason nodded and leaned in toward Lucky and Sam. "I lost her as soon as I had her. Claudia's a good shot -- I know that firsthand. But Helena had gotten her on her shooting arm. Claudia was using her other hand to shoot by the time I got there. All it really did was prevent Helena from taking another shot at her. Helena left nothing behind. There was nothing to track."

"You don't think Claudia was in on this?," Lucky asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it makes no sense. Helena gets away free and clear from Spoon Island. Why would she make an unnecessary pit stop? She could have gone straight to the airport."

"Maybe she had something to tell Claudia."

Sam cut Jason off before he could answer. "Lucky. Helena had nothing to tell Claudia that Claudia wanted to hear. Trust me."

"Well, maybe," Lucky said. "But maybe what I need is to get everybody where I can question them."

************************

Port Charles Police Station. Morning.

Lucky led Sam, Nikolas and Claudia into the holding room. He pointed to the window. "Even though you can't be heard in here, you can be seen. So I wouldn't try anything."

Claudia rolled her eyes.

"Sam, I need you first."

Sam followed Lucky out of the holding room.

Claudia and Nikolas were left alone. Sonny and Johnny sat outside the room, watching.

"Claudia," Nikolas said.

She slowly turned toward him. Her eyes were glittering with anger.


	30. Chapter 30

Holding Room. PCPD.

Nikolas and Claudia sat a few feet away from each other in silence.

"Are you all right?," he asked, finally.

"I can't talk to you right now." She turned away from him.

"Did she hurt you?," he asked.

"Did she hurt me," she said slowly. And then she laughed. It was not a pretty sound. She was not looking at him. "You go to Italy against my wishes. You go to Puerto Rico -- hey, even _I'm _not safe in Puerto Rico, that's Sonny's territory. And then you have the arrogance to go to Russia. Russia, where people are waiting to kill you. Where I have been terrified of you going every single time you leave town. You risk your entire family --"

"I thought they were all safe."

"Including that little boy. Spence--" She choked on his name. Waited until she got her composure back.

"Claudia."

"No."

"I thought they were all safe."

"Okay. All right. Sure. Maybe you believed that." Now she turned to face him. Let him try to look her in the eye and lie about this. "But you couldn't have thought that _you'd_ be safe."

"I can handle --"

"Alone. You went alone. Are you crazy? Or just stupid? Do you not care about anyone else in this world?"

"I care about you."

"You have a son!" Claudia struggled to get up, using the table to help propel her to her feet.

"So do you!"

Now Nikolas stood, too, and they both pushed their chairs away from the table and circled each other.

*******************************

Outside, Johnny rose from his seat. Sonny yanked him back down. "Let's see what happens now," he said.

*******************************

Inside, Claudia raged at Nikolas.

"I am counting on you to take care of both of our children, and _this_ is what you do?"

"I'm going to take care of all of us. You can't expect me to just stand by and let you die."

"No, that's exactly what I can expect of you. Which I told you. Every time you -- I am not taking you down with me!"

"Because you're unimportant?"

"Because I'm done! There's no way out for me! You're different!"

"I'm different."

"You have a life!"

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't want a life without you."

Claudia slapped Nikolas. "Don't you ever say that!," she said.

She looked at his face, getting red in the wake of the slap, and his expression. He stepped toward her.

"Claudia."

"No," she said, backing away.

"Claudia, please."

Sonny flew into the room, grabbing Nikolas by the lapels. "What did you say to her?"

Nikolas said nothing.

"Huh?," Sonny said, shaking Nikolas.

"Leave him alone," choked out Claudia. "I -- I just want to go home." She looked up at Lucky who had entered the room. "Can I go home?"

Nikolas nodded at Lucky. Lucky looked back at Nikolas incredulously.

"Let me see what I can do," Lucky said, reluctantly. He was going to kill Nikolas.

Lucky left the room.

Sonny led Claudia outside to an empty desk. Johnny slipped inside the holding room.

"You okay?," Sonny asked.

"Don't worry," she said, wiping her face. "The baby's fine."

"How are you?"

"Please, can we not continue this farce?"

"What farce? What are you talking about?"

"Please don't pretend to care. That's the one thing that could skyrocket my blood pressure even higher."

Sonny was quiet.

Lucky came over. "You can go. We can question you tomorrow."

Sonny helped Claudia out of her chair. As they made their way out of the station, Sonny said, "You did the right thing. You tell me if he's a problem."

"I don't need your approval. I don't need your help," she said, coldly. "I never did."

**********************************

Holding Room.

Nikolas sat on one of the steel chairs, looking down at the table. Johnny moved a chair next to him and sat down.

"I recognized the look. Right before she hit you."

Nikolas didn't say anything.

"You tell her you didn't care if you lived? That's what got me slapped the one time she raised a hand to me."

Nikolas still didn't speak.

"This is a good thing. She's been so controlled lately. She's been acting like she's going to her death. Tonight, I saw Claudia. She's fighting. That's good. Now maybe you don't like what you saw. If you don't, you'd better get out now. Because that's my sister. That's the worst of it. You take her, you take all of her."

Nikolas looked up at Johnny. He shook his head. He turned away.

Lucky poked his head in. "Nikolas. We're ready for you."

Nikolas got up and went with Lucky.

Johnny left the building.

**********************************

GreyStone. Kitchen.

Sonny had never shared a kitchen before.

Claudia hadn't exchanged one word with him since they'd left the station.

She poured a large glass of water and drank it. And then she began pulling ingredients from the refrigerator and cabinets.

"I can make us lunch," Sonny said.

Claudia ignored him. She began chopping vegetables.

Sonny grabbed some soup stock out of the freezer. Claudia grabbed a large pan from above the kitchen island.

"You need help with that?"

Claudia slammed the pan down onto the stove. "Why? Do I look feeble? Incompetent?" Sonny backed up as she moved toward him with her chopping knife. "Do you want me out of 'your' kitchen? Do you want to slip a little something in the soup?" She held the knife a little too close to his throat. And then she dropped the knife down to his zipper. She looked back up. "Back off," she said. Then she moved back to the vegetables.

He'd thought he'd seen Claudia be unpleasant before. Turns out all those times were warm-ups. This was going to be a long night.

**************************************

Johnny's Garage. Night.

Johnny was getting ready to close up. He closed the trunk of the car he was working on, and wiped the wrench clean. He threw the wrench into the toolbox, and he sat down on a stool for a second to think.

Everybody had a plan. Claudia had one plan, Nikolas had another, Sonny had another. Johnny felt useless. Because he was out of the loop.

When Johnny was eighteen, his father had consented for him to take a trip to Rome. As soon as he arrived, Johnny rented a car and headed out to Milan. For all his abandonment issues and resentment, he wanted to talk to her, find out what had really happened, say what he had to say, see her again. When Johnny got there, he found out just how cruel his father had been. Anthony had given permission only because he knew Claudia would be out of the country for the entire time Johnny was there.

Claudia's Uncle Rudy had met him at the door of the compound. He looked at Johnny with sympathy. "Come inside," he said. Rudy called Claudia, and she got on a plane headed home to finally see her baby brother again.

Claudia's plane had landed and they were waiting for her at the compound. There was a knock at the door. It was Anthony and a small army of men. He had had Claudia grabbed as soon as she'd stepped off the plane. Johnny had two choices: he could come home and send his sister a letter, or he could stay, see his sister for a few minutes and then lose her for good. "This was a test, John, and it was a good test. Not one minute off the plane in this country and you had to disobey my wishes. Loyalty is a very important thing. But I can see you have a lot to learn about that. You want to see your no-good treacherous slut sister? I leave it up to you. Claudia alive? Or Claudia dead?"

Johnny had gone home with his father. He hadn't been in Italy for 24 hours. And he never saw his sister.

But while they had been waiting for Claudia, he and Rudy had had a long talk. Rudy was sure that Claudia and Johnny would find their way back to each other. But Rudy was worried. Anthony had destroyed Rudy's sister Domenica. He most probably intended to destroy Claudia as well. Claudia was only safe as long as she was out of Anthony's reach. "This is a hard life to live, to be the brother of a woman who is a Zacchara," he said. "You're going to try to protect her, and she will not have it. But you must fight for her. Harder than I fought for Claudia's mother."

Ever since Claudia had come to town, Johnny had fought for her. Sometimes it felt like he was fighting for her soul. Some of the trouble she got into was because she was a Zacchara. Some of the trouble came by her own design. But the most dangerous trouble she got into -- including the botched hit that could cost Claudia her life -- was because she was his sister. She would never have come home to Crimson Pointe if he hadn't been in trouble.

He wished he had a plan, too. He wished he'd listened more closely to Rudy.

There was a knock at the door. Johnny got up, peered out the window, and sighed.

He opened the door. He may not be able to help his sister tonight, but he would do his best for a drunken aristocrat.

Nikolas swayed in the doorway. "May I come in?"

"Sure."

Johnny caught Nikolas as he stumbled inside with a mostly empty bottle of Dewar's.

"Let me take that." Johnny took the bottle from Nikolas and set it down on his work table.

He helped Nikolas into a chair.

"I am not drunk," Nikolas said.

"I can see that."

Nikolas squinted at Johnny. "You know what bothers me the most?"

"No."

"Aside from the fact that she doesn't care whether she lives or dies." Nikolas leaned back on the chair, settling in. "I mean, there are many, many aspects of this whole situation that disturb me profoundly, but you know what the worst one is?"

"No," Johnny said. He was not looking forward to the Claudia roast that was sure to follow.

"I see her with Sonny. You know?"

"Yeah?"

"And I think 'What is he doing married to my wife?' You see what I mean? We have a family. It may not look like a family to anyone else, but it's a family. Three of us -- and it will be four soon. Everything works. Have you felt the baby kick?"

"No," said Johnny.

"Oh, you should really feel the baby kick. So strong. And her eyes, when it happens..." Nikolas pounded his fist against his heart. "She asked me to be the father. Did you know that?"

"Yeah."

"I love that baby. I love him because he's hers. She expects me to just let her --" Nikolas held out a peace sign and then turned it upside down and simulated two legs walking "-- march away from all of us, from her family. I hate your father."

"I know the feeling." Johnny got up and poured a glass of water. He held it out to Nikolas.

"He's evil and a jackass. A volatile combination." Nikolas took the glass of water and downed it.

"Especially since he's been equipped with his own personal army his whole life." Johnny took the glass and refilled it.

Nikolas made a sound that was related to "_Pfft._" "Armies can be defeated. But he got in her head. Told her things that were wrong. Very wrong. And then he made her marry Sonny. Why didn't she come to me?"

Johnny handed Nikolas the water and two aspirin. "You want to know what I think? Take those, and drink that, and I'll tell you."

Nikolas dumped the aspirin into the garbage and downed the water. He set the glass down on the floor and leaned back in his chair again.

"I think this is going to work," Johnny said. "You and Claudia."

"She hates me." Nikolas' eyes had become unfocused.

Johnny continued as if Nikolas hadn't spoken. "I just hope you're going to grind Sonny into little pieces of dust at the end of this."

Nikolas' eyes had closed.

"That's what I think. And that's what I hope." Johnny gave Nikolas a few minutes, and then went to wake him up.

***********************************

The Office Behind Sonny's Coffee Shop.

Jason hurried into the room.

"You're late," Sonny said.

"I'm sorry."

"When I call you, it's important."

"I know that, Sonny. I got stuck on an elevator. I couldn't get out. I'm here now."

"What've you got for me?"

"Phil defected to Cavallo."

"Who told you that?"

"Cavallo. He seemed happy about it. He said to send his regards to Mrs. Corinthos. What's that about?"

"That's nothing. Claudia's first meeting with the Five Families, she -- it doesn't matter. It's not important. Claudia wants a gun."

Jason rubbed his head.

"Yeah, that's where I'm at right now."

"What do you want to do?"

"You think Helena's coming back?"

"She always comes back, Sonny."

Sonny nodded. "Can we put more men on Claudia?"

"Not with Dante upstate."

"Helena didn't leave any trail?"

"Private jet to Istanbul left a half an hour after she left your house."

"Did you talk to Sam?"

"Yeah. Sam thinks Helena's gone for awhile. Helena lost her game plan. She'll need time to think up another one."

"Okay. Then no gun for Claudia. What've you got on Puerto Rico?"

***********************************

GreyStone.

Claudia couldn't sleep. Couldn't concentrate long enough to do anything. She'd have these sudden bursts of energy, and would walk down and up the stairs and end up back in her room again.

She'd hit Nikolas. It was crippling her. He'd probably never been touched that way before. And she'd just left him there, had left with Sonny. Destroyed the one good thing she'd ever had.

She didn't care if her phone was tapped, or if Spinelli kept a trace. She picked up her phone and dialed. The call connected. "Hello, Alexis? It's Claudia. Is Nikolas there?"

***********************************

Johnny's Garage. Morning.

The garage was empty. There was a knock at the door. No answer. Claudia let herself in.

Johnny came out of the back room.

"Where were you?," Claudia asked.

"I was hiding under a car."

Claudia nodded distractedly. She put down her purse. She sat down in a chair and rested her hand on her belly. "The thing is... the thing is, I hurt Nikolas," she said, her eyes watery. "I called Spoon Island and they haven't seen him. And he's not at the hospital."

"Claudia --"

"He's sensitive. And I was a bulldozer yesterday. I got scared, and I..." Claudia burst into silent tears, unable to speak.

Johnny picked up a tissue, made sure it was clean, and wiped Claudia's face.

She grabbed his wrist. "He's not going to want to speak to me, but I thought maybe you could find him, and --"

"He found me." Johnny gestured toward the mostly empty Dewar's bottle. Claudia stared at the bottle.

"Where is he now?"

"In the back. Sleeping."

Claudia struggled to get out of her chair. Johnny helped her up. Claudia looked at the bottle.

"How is he?"

"I kept making him drink water, but he refused to take any aspirin."

Claudia nodded. "He doesn't like any kind of medication."

"He's probably going to be in a lot of pain. That's a lot of scotch for a non-drinker."

She went into her purse and pulled out a twenty. "Could you run out and get some apples and some ginger tea? Please?"

Johnny rubbed her shoulder, took the money, and left.

Claudia called Alexis and let her know Nikolas was safe. And then she went into the back room.

***************************************

Back Room of the Garage.

Looking at a worse-for-the-wear Nikolas on the couch, all Claudia could think of was that story where the girl kisses a frog and he turns into a prince. Claudia had kissed a prince and turned him into roadkill.

She sat down in the chair next to the couch and brushed Nikolas' hair away from his face.

Nikolas, Johnny and Spencer. Her Lost Boys. All without mothers. And look at their consolation prizes. Helena. Anthony. Claudia. What she was doing to Nikolas was worse than what Laura did all those years ago. At least Laura didn't slap him. His whole life, Nikolas had been left. Laura left, Emily had died, his uncle had died. She knew that within weeks of meeting him, and she still went ahead and slept with him, knowing that she was living on borrowed time. Johnny's mother -- murdered. Spencer's mother -- died before he knew her.

And her own son. Baby Boy Corinthos.

Johnny came in and silently put the apples and the tea on the coffee table. She smiled gratefully at him.

"Claudia," Nikolas murmured, still half-asleep.

"I'm right here," she said quietly, brushing back his hair again.

She looked at Johnny, and he nodded and left the room.

Nikolas opened his eyes. "You're here."

"Yes." Still quiet.

Nikolas tried to sit up, but the tympanist in his head forced him back down. Claudia struggled to her feet, helped him to a sitting position and gave him the tea. Then she shut off all the lights in the room.

"Thanks," he said, wincing. He drank some of the tea. "Ginger?"

"It's good for what you have," she said softly. "I didn't start out as a world class drinker. I picked some things up along the way. How's your stomach?"

He started to shake his head, but winced again. She handed him the apple. He took it while finishing the tea. Claudia took the empty cup from him and put it on the coffee table.

The pounding in his head was starting to subside. "Come here," he said.

She sat down next to him.

"I'm sorry," she said.

He nodded.

"I should have never, ever hit you."

"Do you hate me?" He asked the question seriously. Claudia looked taken aback.

"Just because I want to kill you doesn't mean I hate you, Nikolas. I thought you were fluent in Claudia."

"I'm a little out of practice," he said.

She took the apple from him. She held his face in both her hands. "I love you," she said. "Я тебя люблю. Ti amo. Je t'aime. 愛しています。"

"You're just saying that," he said.

She laughed.

"I love you too," he said.

He pulled her to him and kissed her.

She pulled back and looked into his eyes.

"This is going to be messy," she said.

"_Going_ to be?" he said.

She rubbed the stubble on his face. Kissed his cheek. "Let me take care of you," she said.

He smiled quizzically. She smiled back at him, and fed him the apple. She nuzzled his neck. Kissed his jaw.

He started to pull her down onto the couch.

"Nik, trust me, it's too small for the three of us."

"We'll manage," he said, as he pulled her all the way down with him.

*************************************

An hour later, Johnny came in. Claudia and Nikolas were dressed, but they were completely wrapped up in each other.

"Sorry," he said. "I'll come back later."

"No," she said. She turned to Nikolas. "Help me sit up." Nikolas sat up as he helped Claudia. Claudia turned on the lamp. "Is it quiet out there?," she asked Johnny. "Do you have time to talk?"

"It's quiet. I think your husband might start looking for you soon."

"Forget him," she said. "Sit down."

Johnny sat down in the chair.

"I trust you two," she said. "With my life. So we're going to do this. We're going to go through all the plans and make them all fit together. Now."


	31. Chapter 31

GreyStone. Late Morning.

Claudia had ditched her new guard early that morning -- the first guard she had ditched since she'd moved back home.

"Listen to me," Sonny said into the phone. "I don't have time for this. You get on that launch and get over to that island."

"Which island?," Claudia said, standing by the new patio doors. "Spoon Island?"

Sonny hung up the phone. "Where have you been?"

"You're seriously going to send someone out on a fool's mission to Spoon Island?"

"I'm not in the mood for games, Claudia."

"Have you ever been? You should really call that person back."

"Where...were...you?"

"With Nikolas," she said. "At John's garage. Catching up."

*********************************************

Spoon Island.

Alexis had never seen Nikolas like this before. He'd come home pretty ripe, but had showered, shaved and gotten dressed, and now he was swinging Spencer around the living room.

"Daddy!," Spencer squealed.

Nikolas stopped spinning Spencer and let him dangle. "What? What? Do you want to stop?"

"More!"

Nikolas pulled Spencer up and kissed him. Then he spun him around a few more times for good measure.

He lowered him to the floor and they both fell on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

"Il tetto è di filatura!," Spencer said. _ The roof is spinning._

Nikolas let out a gasp. "Что делать, если его не остановить?" _What if it does not stop?_

They were quiet for a little bit longer, and then Spencer suddenly sat up. "It stopped!"

Nikolas sat up. "It did."

"Do it again!," Spencer said.

Alexis hated to interrupt the father and son moment, but she needed to leave for work soon. She caught Nikolas' eye and gestured to him.

Nikolas knelt down to Spencer. "Spencer? Would you like to go to the zoo today?"

"Can we see the walrus?"

"We can see any old animal you'd like."

"А динозавра?" _A dinosaur?_

"Except the extinct ones," Nikolas said. "I'll tell you all about that on the way."

Alfred came in with tea and the newspaper.

"Alfred," Nikolas said. "Would you take Spencer upstairs and find his sneakers? We're going to the zoo."

"Most certainly, Master Nikolas."

Spencer ran to Alfred.

"Spencer," Nikolas said.

Spencer turned around.

"I almost forgot." Nikolas pulled the Giacchi from his pocket. "Look what I found!"

Spencer ran over and grabbed the toy. Then he ran back to Alfred and they left the room.

"I'm sorry," said Alexis.

"I take it you're leaving Spoon Island," Nikolas said.

"We are."

"Do you need anything?"

"No, we're all set."

"All right. Don't forget to say good-bye to Spencer."

Alexis nodded. "You're in a good mood."

"I'm in a _great_ mood," he said.

"Does this have anything to do with Claudia finding you?"

Nikolas just smiled cryptically.

"Okay," Alexis said, smiling. She turned to go.

"I do have one favor to ask. And it's a difficult one."

Alexis turned back to Nikolas. "Yes?"

"I need you to find two witnesses for Claudia's will who have no connection to Sonny, who can keep a secret, and who will be happy to have Sonny's child end up with me. And who have nothing to gain from my obtaining custody."

"That _is_ difficult. I'll see what I can do." She eyed Nikolas. "That's a bizarre request to make in such a good mood."

"Wouldn't you prefer that to a normal request in a bad mood?"

"Yes," Alexis said slowly. "But how does Claudia feel about this?"

"It was her idea," Nikolas said.

**************************************************

Crimson Pointe.

Johnny checked around to make sure he wasn't being followed. He was pretty sure no one else was around, but just in case, he went in using the front door.

He made his way to Trevor's files. Claudia had her suspicions. So she said. He didn't know whether to laugh or believe her when she said "Basically, I have my suspicions about what Trevor knew and when he knew it. I know it's difficult to tell when I'm telling the truth, so let me just put it this way: whether Trevor kept this information in his files or I put it there, it helps us now. But just so you know, John, I don't lie to Nikolas. And he's here now, so I'm hoping you believe that I had nothing to do with it." Nikolas had just grinned like an idiot when she said that. Johnny was sure that had any of Nikolas' business associates seen him at that moment, they would have had him institutionalized for character assassination.

Johnny took out his copy of the key and opened the file cabinet. He found what he was looking for. He read the file with disgust. There was no way Claudia was responsible for this. She'd done some despicable things in her time, but this was the one thing she wasn't capable of. He'd take the file for now, but he'd need to find some place safe for it.

The window curtains were all drawn, and he hadn't turned on any lights. If anyone was watching the house, they'd have no idea what he was up to. So he made his way to the garage. That thing _was_ huge. And it looked legitimate. If Nikolas wasn't working with them, he'd be kinda frightening.

Johnny made his way back out of the house. He looked back at it from the road. He'd always thought of this place as their prison. Now it was going to set them free.

*************************************************

GreyStone.

"You saw Nikolas?"

"Yes. That makes five times since I've left the Island. But you already knew that. Really, Sonny -- Phil? You're tailing an aristocrat who's had a price on his head since the day he was born and you send _Phil_?"

"Maybe if my wife wasn't a lying whore, I wouldn't have to send anyone to follow her."

Claudia went to the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"To my room. I don't need this abuse anymore. But I guess you should know that Nikolas now has a guard on me. He'll take him off if you'll let me carry a gun, or if Helena is caught. And one more thing: John told me all about your tongue down Olivia's throat on the night of my car accident. You call me a whore again, and I'll start calling you a slut at _the_ most inconvenient times. I'm sure the guys would love that on our international conference calls. You'd better start brushing up on Italian and Russian."

Claudia continued up the stairs.

"Careful, Claudia," Sonny said, his volume rising. "This is your business too."

The door to Claudia's room slammed shut.

*************************************************

Matt Hunter's Office. General Hospital.

Liz poked her head inside. "You rang?," she said.

"I did," he said.

Liz came in and shut the door behind her.

"You've been doing things," he said.

"I have."

"You set up a double date."

"It's a date?"

"I have a rule."

"You do?"

"Once a woman starts arranging my life, we're dating. Because I don't let friends or family do that."

"So that means you're letting me take charge?"

"Not so fast. Whose idea was this?"

"Mine. And Robin's."

"Uh-huh."

"We were out at Kelly's going-away party and one thing led to another, and --"

"You discussed this at the party."

"Yes."

"Okay. Then we're definitely dating. I wish I had been the first to know, but this works for me. Now about work..."

"Before you go crazy, I want you to know that I wasn't the only one who suggested this."

"I'm sure Patrick was crazy about it, since it leaves the playing field free for him."

"Patrick had nothing to do with this. Robin had nothing to do with this."

"Who did?"

"Only every doctor, nurse, anesthesiologist, administrator, EMT and delivery boy who was on duty the night you pulled your Emergency shift."

"Let's say for a moment that this was something I wanted to do..."

Liz went over to Matt and sat on his desk. "Okay."

"You do realize that I am now open to about fifty gazillion more lawsuits than I was upstairs."

Liz tousled his hair. "What? Oh, no. I don't think so."

"In your expert opinion."

"Do you realize how many more witnesses you will have to your genius? I don't think a lawsuit will be possible. And..." Liz loosened his tie.

"Unfair."

Liz ignored him. "Diane Miller doesn't ambulance chase. She thinks she's out of that league. And..."

"What?"

"I made sure that if you don't like it, you can always go back upstairs. Just try the Emergency Room for a little while. And..."

"What?"

Liz kissed Matt. She pulled back and touched his lips. "There are fringe benefits to me arranging your life."

"True," he said. He kissed her. When they finally parted, they smiled at each other. "Could you talk about my genius again?," he said.

**********************************************

Alexis' House.

Kristina had noticed that her mother was distracted, so she slipped out of the house, claiming that she had a "study date." Wait until she realized that her father had now put a guard on her, Alexis thought. She'd find her mother's methods tame in comparison to Sonny's.

Sam had "stolen" Molly for the afternoon so that Alexis could get everything moved back into its proper place.

So Alexis was alone. With her thoughts.

She did not like Claudia Zacchara. She never had. She did not approve of Claudia. Both in general and for her nephew. But she was beginning to re-think Claudia.

In an odd way, she admired the woman's mind. Nikolas was right. Claudia was no Helena. Alexis suspected that Claudia had grown up under the thumb of her own Helena. Also known as Anthony Zacchara. And instead of breaking free of the family madness, as Alexis had, Claudia had tried to rise within it. Alexis suspected that that was what accounted for both Claudia's survival and the ways in which she was damaged.

The connection with Spencer, though, that was something else. Alexis had spent the last few nights trying to put her finger on what it was, and she'd only figured it out just now. When Claudia was with Spencer and Nikolas, and no one else was antagonizing her, Claudia became the person she would have become if she'd grown up outside of her family's business. _That_ was a person Alexis could live with being with Nikolas and Spencer. But it was a shaky foundation. The larger part of Claudia was the one that had spent years developing under her father and in Italy. Most likely, it would be what she would revert to in the end.

And then there was her protection of Spencer. At first, Alexis had thought Claudia had experienced something similar to Alexis' witnessing of her own mother's murder. But after the night in the psych exam room with Spencer, Alexis knew. Johnny was the one. Claudia didn't want Spencer to experience what her brother had witnessed. In a strange way, she was protecting her brother again, and this time she was succeeding.

She could see why Nikolas loved her. But she was worried about what Nikolas was getting himself into. Putting aside the fact that Nikolas was taking on the mob...

Alexis stopped that train of thought and grabbed a paper bag. She breathed deeply for a few minutes.

_Okay, if you're going to put a thought aside, it means you can't think about. _Paper bag down.

Nikolas was leaving himself open to a world of pain. If Claudia was murdered, Nikolas would be slammed with 3 deaths of women he loved -- in a row. Courtney, Emily, and now Claudia. She wasn't sure he could make it through that. And if Claudia didn't die, she could prove dangerous later on. When she'd gotten a taste of Cassadine power.

The flip side to all this was that until Claudia had shown up, Nikolas had been sleepwalking after Emily's death. Was that really a life?

And Stefan and Helena had tried to pick out appropriate partners for Nikolas before. The heart wants what it wants. Alexis refused to become the kind of Cassadine who dictated other Cassadines' lives. Although she wished Helena was in a tiny prison cell under the sea right now. _That_ she was willing to compromise on.

In the end, Alexis had no choice. She had to have faith in Nikolas and Claudia. Because the alternatives were too devastating.

She picked up the phone and dialed. It connected. "Oh, that was fast -- I didn't expect -- Hi. It's me. Alexis. ... Alexis Davis. You're always so charming. ... Oh, the usual dramas. ... As a matter of fact, I just used one. How are you? ... Tell her congratulations! And you? ... You sound the same. ... I meant that nicely. ... I do. I need a favor -- but I think you'll like this one. I need you to come back to Port Charles."

***********************************************

Port Charles Zoo.

Spencer fed the llama through the fence. When the bag was empty, he turned to Nikolas. "More!"

Nikolas raised an eyebrow.

"More please!," Spencer said.

Nikolas ruffled Spencer's hair. "Very good. But I think I need to feed Spencer first."

"Up please."

Nikolas picked up Spencer and carried him to the zoo's cafe.

After they had purchased their lunches and found a table, Nikolas sat Spencer on his lap.

He waited until Spencer had eaten most of his lunch and then he leaned over and spoke into Spencer's ear.

"Spencer?"

"What?"

"I'm sorry you had such a bad surprise the other day. And I'm very sorry I left you alone on the Island."

Spencer did not answer.

"When I was little," Nikolas said. "There was nothing I hated more than when people went away."

Spencer looked up at his father. "Like Gramma?"

"Just like Gramma. But this week, I promise to stay with you all week. We're going to stay home and play, and we're going to go out and play."

Spencer smiled broadly. It broke Nikolas' heart.

Nikolas continued, "And then, later on, I will be very sad because you will be the one who goes away. Just for a little while."

"No!"

Nikolas turned Spencer around on his lap. "It will only be for a little while, and I promise you will be so happy about your surprises on your trip that you might forget to miss me."

"Sorprese?," Spencer asked.

"Yes. Until I come back to you, there will be many surprises. I think you will be very happy. But I want you to promise me you'll miss me just a little."

Spencer hugged his father. "Don't want to go."

"I know. But sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do so that we can get everything we want."

Nikolas kissed the top of Spencer's head.

********************************

GreyStone.

Claudia had eaten lunch alone. Sonny had disappeared.

Maybe it was a little dangerous to go around provoking Sonny like that, but Claudia took comfort in the fact that it had all been Nikolas' idea. He said you sometimes had to tip your own hand to get your opponent to tip his. Claudia had then challenged him on the "his." Nikolas had tried to backpedal and say that there were also worthy women opponents.

It was foolish to hope for anything. It was wrong to let Nikolas involve himself. But there was something chemical about her and Nikolas. She couldn't stay away from him anymore. And she'd resolved herself: She had her three Lost Boys counting on her. She would never leave anyone she loved again. Not without a fight.

And strangely enough, this was the first time she felt safe away while she was away from Nikolas.

***********************************

Harborview Towers. Main Staircase.

Jason and Sonny climbed the stairs.

"This place is falling down since I left," Sonny said.

"There's only one elevator. Sometimes it breaks down," Jason said.

"I want you covering Claudia," he said.

"I think you're making a mistake."

"Well, that's not up to you, Jason."

"I'm also beginning to think that getting rid of Claudia is a mistake. "

"You had no problem getting rid of Lorenzo. You had no problem with getting rid of Nico or Manny. But this you have a problem with?"

"I don't like Claudia. But we are tied to her now. What do you think will happen when she turns up dead after giving birth?"

"We'll handle it."

"What about Nikolas?"

"Nikolas Cassadine is not going to do anything. He's not capable. Look at how well he protected his family this week. If Sam hadn't been there, they'd all be dead. He knows that. He'll stay away from this." Sonny was winded. "I can't do this anymore. I'm going back downstairs. We'll talk about this at the office tomorrow."

Two flights up, Elizabeth opened her mouth to call out to Jason. Matt clapped his hand over Liz's mouth and pulled her out of the staircase. He silently shut the door after them and pulled her around the corner.

"Not a word," he whispered. "Okay?"

She nodded.

He took his hand from her mouth.

"This is a dangerous neighborhood," he whispered. "I can see why you've been avoiding it."


	32. Chapter 32

Harborview Towers. Matt's Apartment.

Matt unlocked the door. He and Liz hurried inside. He locked the door again and put the chain on.

Liz wandered further into the apartment, looking dazed.

Matt hurried to her side, and ushered her over to the couch. He went to the bar and poured them each a whiskey. He returned to the couch and sat down next to her.

She didn't take her drink, so he set it aside. And knocked his back. Put his glass down.

He turned on the stereo, and pushed the volume up. Then he turned to Liz.

"Liz."

"Yeah?"

"Claudia -- the pregnant woman I stitched up the other night, that was her name, right?"

Liz didn't answer.

"One of the guys said 'after she gives birth.' How many pregnant Claudias do you think there are in Port Charles?"

"Not many," Liz answered hollowly.

"And Nikolas Cassadine -- we _know_ who that is, there can't be more than one of _those _in Port Charles."

"No."

Liz got up and began to walk around the room.

"Are you okay?," Matt asked.

"I just need a minute."

Liz stopped by the front window and stared out.

She liked Matt because he was uncomplicated. What a joke. Nothing about Liz was uncomplicated. Every little piece of her life was compartmentalized. She had a Lucky box, and a Jason box, and a Mom box, and a nurse box -- and there was hardly ever a time when everything got all mixed up together. There was not a single person who knew all there was to know about her.

"You know Jason Morgan," Matt said.

Liz turned around to face him, startled.

"I mean, I knew you knew him, but you _really_ know him. That's why you didn't want to come here."

"Yes."

"Okay." Matt didn't seem put off. He seemed like he had just slid a puzzle piece into place.

"There's more," Liz said.

"Okay," Matt said, "but can you give me a second here? Before we delve into the craziness of what's going on, I need a second to be happy about the fact that you weren't avoiding my place because of me." Matt got up and paced the floor. He stopped and turned to her again. "And you know what else? Forgetting about the whole revolting murder thing for another second... I'm so relieved. I thought I was the only one with issues here. With my screwed up family tree and the lawsuit and everything. You have issues too. And that's too bad for you, but it kinda makes me happy. Evens the playing field."

Liz took a deep breath. She went over to the couch and knocked back her whiskey. Then she sat down and patted the couch cushion next her. "Sit down, Matt," she said. "I'm about to make you ecstatic."

********************************************

Wyndemere. The Dining Room.

Nikolas and Spencer finished their dinner. Spencer held up his hands for inspection.

"Would you like to clean your hands?," Nikolas asked.

"Yes."

Nikolas began to get up.

"No, no," Spencer said. "You stay. I'm a big boy."

"Oh," Nikolas said. He had a feeling this was a new phase. "All right."

Spencer left the room. Alfred came in.

"Master Nikolas, do you have a moment?"

"Of course," Nikolas said. "Have a seat."

Alfred looked entirely uncomfortable at the prospect of sitting down in front of Nikolas. Nikolas watched as an internal battle waged inside Alfred. Sit? Or disobey a request?

"Please, Alfred."

Alfred sat down at the dining room table.

"I take it this means that you have considered my offer."

"Yes, sir. My wife and I have decided to accept."

Nikolas smiled. "I am very pleased. I know it can't have been easy working here, with the threats and the intrigue. There's no one I've trusted more than you." After the man guarding Helena had betrayed him, Nikolas would say that Alfred was the only person working for him that he trusted.

"We look forward to it, sir."

"I suppose you should prepare to leave, then."

Alfred hesitated. "Very good, sir."

"Spencer will only be here a little while longer. I can take care of him for now. And as far as taking care of myself: hopefully I've picked up some skills by osmosis."

"Of course, Master Nikolas."

"It's a big change," Nikolas said. "Let me know when you're ready to leave, and I'll make the arrangements."

********************************************

General Hospital. Fifth floor. Classroom.

"There are probably many questions going through your mind. What does my birthing partner do? What are all of those breathing exercises I've seen on television sitcoms? How long does labor take?" Dr. Waters pulled out an easel with an oversized notepad on it.

"How soon after labor is your husband allowed to shoot you?," Claudia whispered to Johnny.

"How long can your sister shut up for so that childbirth can actually happen?," Johnny whispered back.

"Mrs. Corinthos? Partner?"

"John Zacchara, doctor," Johnny said.

"Any questions?," Dr. Waters said.

"I'm not ready to share yet," Claudia said. "But I'll let you know when I am."

The couple next to them had their hands all over each other. The couple in front of them had obviously been through this before; they were reviewing breathing methods.

Claudia turned to Johnny. "The day I work up to _that_," Claudia said, gesturing to the "breathing method" couple, "Don't wait for Sonny. Shoot me yourself."

Johnny pinched Claudia.

"Hey!"

"Cut it out," he muttered.

"These Lamaze classes will attempt to answer your questions and prepare you. Many of you," Dr. Waters continued, "are wondering what kind of pain will occur during labor. I'm happy to report that it doesn't compare to knife wounds, gunshot wounds or torture." The rest of the room laughed, while Dr. Waters shot Claudia a pointed look.

"Did you see that?," Claudia asked Johnny.

"Well, he's either read your chart, or he's met our father," Johnny said.

Claudia leaned back, propped herself up on her elbows, and began to behave.

********************************************

Port Charles Police Department. Mac Scorpio's Office.

Alexis knocked on the open door. Mac looked up.

"Ms. Davis. What can I do for you?"

Alexis closed the door behind her.

"You can call me Alexis. I need a favor, Mac. And it has to be 'No Questions Asked.'"

********************************************

Matt's Apartment.

"The worst part of all of this is that Jason asked me about Claudia's due date _and I told him_," Liz said.

"What do you want to do now?," Matt gently prodded.

"I don't know. My instincts are screaming for me to go to Jason, to try to make sense of all of this with him. To help him."

"Is that what you were about to do in the stairwell before I covered your mouth?"

"I think so. It's hard to tell with me and Jason."

Matt didn't say anything, just took it all in.

"You think I'm a horrible person," Liz said.

Matt laughed. "You think you're the only one who's ever been in love before?"

"Oh," she said. Not what she was expecting. "So what do you think?"

"Well, first of all, I'm glad I'm not you. I would not want to have to choose between Jason and Nikolas."

"Thanks."

"And second of all, we have to tell Nikolas."

"I know."

"There's no bad outcome if we tell Nikolas. Jason is more of a crapshoot."

"I know."

"And no offense to your ex-husband, but the police in this town are incompetent. After this whole Brianna Hughes thing, I wouldn't go to them even if I had a murder weapon with fingerprints on it and a signed confession."

"I'm a little drunk," she said. "I'm not sure if we should do this tonight."

"Two drunks make a right. Or a credible witness. Or something. We'll do it together. Go to Nikolas, I mean. Do you think you can pull off an innocent act if we run into Jason on the staircase?"

"You have no idea," she said.

************************************************

General Hospital. Fifth floor.

Johnny and Claudia left the classroom. Sonny was waiting outside.

"You didn't tell me about this," he said to Claudia.

"Maybe you're the last person she wants in the delivery room with her," Johnny said. "Maybe she wants to give birth without worrying about how long she has with her baby."

"Stay out of this, Johnny," Sonny said.

Claudia put her hand on Johnny's arm. "If you want to be in the delivery room," she said to Sonny, "that's fine. But I can't have you as my coach."

"And check your gun at the door," Johnny said.

"You two a double act now?," Sonny asked, leaning in toward Claudia and Johnny.

A rather large man came over.

"It's okay, Viktor," Claudia said. "This is my husband."

The man backed away.

"Who's that?," Sonny asked.

"That's my guard," Claudia answered. "Maybe you should re-think your body language. He thought you were a threat to me."

Sonny gestured toward another large man. Sonny pointed Viktor out to him.

"Who's that?," Claudia asked.

"Well, I figured you don't need a guard from me since Cassadine's covering you. So I'm using my extra man to keep an eye on your guard. See you at home."

Sonny left. Claudia and Johnny exchanged a look.

"You hungry, Viktor?," Claudia said, calling out to him. "I'm in the mood for a night out." She linked her arm through Johnny's. "Come on. My treat." As they passed Sonny's guard, she said, "You too."

"But you're not sitting at our table," Johnny added.

************************************************

Wyndemere. The Study.

Nikolas leaned forward, his elbow on his desk and his chin resting in his hand. At least he was right about Sonny tipping his hand. Now if he would only tip it some more in, say, his office, Claudia would be set. He drummed his fingers on the desk.

"Is that why Claudia was staying here?," Liz asked.

"Yes," said Nikolas.

"Why did she move back in with her husband?," Matt asked.

"Because Sonny threatened her with what he might do to her brother." Nikolas got up, came around and leaned on the front of his desk. "Thank you for coming to me."

"But you already knew this," Matt said.

"I did. But there's new information in this."

"It sounded like Jason doesn't want to do this," Liz said. "Can't we go to him? Tell him what we know. Figure out a solution."

"Do you know how I met Claudia?," Nikolas asked. "That's a rhetorical question. No one but Alfred and Johnny Zacchara knows how I met Claudia. The night I came home after surgery last year, Claudia washed up on my docks. She had been brutally stabbed and thrown off the Port Charles piers. Someone wanted to make sure that if she didn't bleed to death, she'd drown."

"She told you _Jason_ --"

"No," Nikolas said. "Her exact words were, I believe, 'If Jason had stabbed me, I wouldn't have washed up on your island, I would be dead.'"

"So you're saying he's good at his job. Strong work ethic," Matt said.

Nikolas stared at Matt. He turned to Liz and said, "Are you involved with this man?"

"She is," Matt volunteered. "We're dating."

Liz ignored both digressions. "I'm sure if we just talked to --"

"Nothing will change by talking to Jason," Nikolas said. "Jason has already told me in so many words that Claudia needs to pay for what she's done. That there were consequences and that he and Sonny would mete them out. Why do you suppose he was so interested in Claudia's due date?"

Liz was again overcome with guilt.

"When I first told Claudia that you would be coming by here regularly to check up on her, she was hesitant," Nikolas said to Liz. "Because she knows you are the mother of Jason Morgan's only child."

Liz flushed beet red. Matt tried to steal a sideways glance at her.

"But I told her that you could be trusted, and that was good enough for her. "

"I'm sorry, Nikolas."

"I don't suppose Jason gave you a reason for why he wanted that due date."

"No."

"Do you know why Diego killed Emily? Because Jason had killed his father. This never ends. Jason and Sonny's solution to most problems is to murder. And it perpetuates the violence. Every single person they've killed has left someone behind who tries to exact revenge and leaves casualties. Claudia's solution was to stop the cycle by going to her death without a fight. Who here thinks that any member of the Zacchara organization will take that lying down? And remember, Liz, Claudia has known for months that Jake is Jason's. She's been keeping quiet and not using that information to her advantage. No matter how long it takes, if Jason makes a powerful and ruthless enough enemy, they will find out about Jake and they will use the information. Jason is not a god. One day, his house will come crashing down around him. I'd like to make sure that he doesn't provide the fuel for the bulldozer. My solution is that they never get the chance to kill Claudia."

"Why do they want to kill her?," Liz asked.

"That's not my story to tell. But I'll say this much: if Claudia deserves to die for what she did, then Sonny and Jason deserve to die too."

"According to you," Matt interjected.

"I'd say, going by the law, they deserve to die more. I was just trying to be fair."

"What are you going to do about this?," Matt asked. "Are you going to do anything?"

Nikolas didn't answer.

"Nikolas," Liz said. "Can I help you?"

"I can't risk her dying, Liz."

"I know that," she said.

"Sonny seems to think you won't be able to help her," Matt said.

"Sonny's talking about murdering people while climbing public staircases. I don't think he has any room to judge."

"Point taken," Mat said.

Nikolas refilled Matt and Liz's coffee.

"I can't go to the police," Nikolas said. "In the time it took to get anything off the ground, someone I love would die or be threatened."

Matt wasn't going to argue that point. It seemed to Matt that they were talking in generalities. If Claudia was going to be saved, they should be thinking of a step-by-step plan that would go into effect when she went into labor.

Nikolas looked from Matt to Liz. He was going to need help. Liz was his best friend. He didn't think she'd mess up again -- not now that she had realized what her last broken promise had almost cost. Matt was a wildcard. Nikolas was going to have to go with his instincts. He took the plunge.

"I have a place for Claudia to give birth once she gets to the hospital."

"You mean like obstetrics?," Matt asked.

"Someplace hidden that no one knows about," Nikolas said, a little irritated. "My problem is getting the time and space to get her there without any potential killers around her."

"Wouldn't that depend on who's going to bring her to the hospital?," Liz asked.

Matt remembered something from way back in his days of med school all nighters, something that had happened during his first rotation as a medical student. He'd been at Massachusetts General when a young man had come into the emergency room with --

"I'm trying to arrange for a man I have --"

"Do you...?" Matt interrupted Nikolas and then stopped himself.

"What?"

"When Claudia goes into labor, could she arrange to come in through the Emergency Room?"

***************************

GreyStone.

Sonny was on the phone. "No, I'm telling you, they're up to something. ... I don't care how much the extra manpower costs -- you do it!" He went quiet when he saw Michael had entered the room. "I'll call you back."

"Hi, Dad."

"Does your mother know you're here?"

"I need to talk to Claudia."

"You can't just leave the house without telling your mother where you went."

"I just -- can I talk to Claudia?"

"She's not here. But you can talk to me if you need to."

Michael hadn't counted on Claudia not being there. He hadn't counted on his father being there either. This was the wrong time.

"No. No, thanks. But can you tell her I'm looking for her?"

_Like hell_, Sonny thought. "Sure."


	33. Chapter 33

Kelly's Diner.

The breakfast rush was over.

Mike had just finished wiping down the last table when Nikolas and Spencer came in.

"Grandpa!" Spencer barreled his way over to Mike.

"Spencer!" Mike scooped Spencer up in his arms and hugged him. "What a great surprise!"

Spencer turned to Nikolas. "My surprise?"

"One of them," Nikolas said.

Mike looked from Spencer to Nikolas as he put Spencer down. Something was up. He turned back to Spencer.

"How about a glass of milk and a cookie, Spencer?"

"Yes, please."

Mike looked at Nikolas, raised his eyebrows and mouthed the word "_Please?_". Nikolas shrugged.

"Thanks for saying please, Spence. What kind of cookie would you like?"

"I do it," Spencer said, as he struggled to get up onto a bar stool.

Mike grabbed a big-boy high chair and pulled it over to the counter. He lifted Spencer onto it.

"Just one, Spencer," Nikolas said.

"Okay," Spencer said.

Mike set a small plastic cup of milk down by Spencer, engaging him in conversation. Mike moved all the cookie server plates close to Spencer. Spencer set about making his choice with a very solemn expression on his face.

This was going to be difficult, Nikolas thought. After Emily died, Nikolas was of no use to anyone. He could barely get through each day, let alone take care of a child. Mike had been the one to pick up the pieces for Spencer. Even though they hadn't spent much time together lately, Spencer had a pull toward his grandfather that was unbreakable. And why not? Mike had been one of the only constants in the boy's life. Not to mention the fact that Spencer was all Mike had left of Courtney.

Spencer finally selected a cookie.

Nikolas beckoned to Mike, and Mike joined Nikolas.

"He's getting so big. And polite."

Nikolas laughed. "The politeness comes and goes."

"I have to say, I'm glad to see you both. To what do I owe the honor?"

"It's about Helena."

********************************************

Alexis' Office.

At least she'd made it all the way to Alexis' office, Claudia thought. Alexis' pretext was plausible. Too bad Alexis hadn't thought it all out to the point of getting Sonny and Diane unglued from Claudia's side.

Claudia, Diane and Sonny all took seats across from Alexis.

"Thanks for coming, Claudia. I just have a few questions for you about Helena, in a semi-official capacity."

"She shot me," Claudia said. "What more do you need?"

"What my client meant to say," Diane Miller hastened to add, "is that she'll cooperate to the best of her ability."

Alexis wondered what was taking so long. She had signaled to her secretary the moment Sonny and Diane had shown up with Claudia, but either the woman had thought Alexis was playing Charades (which, considering that every one of secretary's fingernails was painted a different color, and she had an assortment of Hello Kitty desk supplies, was not such a stretch), or the PCPD deserved its reputation for being slow on the uptake. What did Mac need -- a map and a flashlight?

At least Claudia was behaving appropriately surly about being called into Alexis' office. Although with Claudia, surly was almost her constant state of being, wasn't it? When she wasn't with Spencer.

"Alexis, do you have questions or not?," Sonny said.

"Yes, I do. Claudia, when Helena first --"

The door to Alexis' office opened, and her secretary ushered Mac and Lucky in.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Davis, but we need to take Mr. Corinthos in for questioning."

Claudia's eyes widened.

"This should be good," Sonny said.

Diane stood up. "This is unconscionable, Commissioner Scorpio. On what grounds?"

"The firearm discharged by Mrs. Corinthos during the recent alleged attack by Helena Cassadine was obtained illegally."

"Oh," said Claudia, struggling to rise, "Do you need me to --"

"That won't be necessary, Mrs. Corinthos. You have a clear-cut case of self-defense. I take it the gun was not yours, particularly due to the array of fingerprints we found on the bullets not discharged."

Claudia hesitated, and then conceded. "No, it wasn't."

"Mr. Corinthos?"

"Just a moment," Diane said. She pulled Alexis aside. "We will need to reschedule Mrs. Corinthos' interview."

"It's okay, Diane. I waive my right to an attorney," Claudia said.

"No, you don't."

"Uh, yes, I do. I don't want to waste any time if they're looking for Helena. If somehow -- by some miracle, since I can't imagine how -- I can help, let me get this over with."

Lucky rolled his eyes.

Claudia looked at Sonny, silently pleading with him.

Sonny took a moment to think about it. He kneeled by Claudia. "I'm going to let you do this," he whispered. "But no guard-ditching or you'll be stuck in your room for the rest of this pregnancy."

Claudia whispered in Sonny's ear, "Don't threaten me. Or you'll be needing a royal taster."

Sonny flashed his dimples at Mac. "Let's go."

Sonny and Diane left, followed by Mac and Lucky.

The secretary closed the door and waited for instructions.

"Wait until they've left the building, and then make the call," Alexis said.

The secretary left, closing the door behind her.

"Thanks for picking up your cues," Alexis said.

Claudia stared after the secretary and then turned to Alexis. "Her fingernails must be killing you."

***********************************

Kelly's Diner.

"I heard what happened, Nikolas," Mike said.

"Helena got too close," Nikolas said. "If Sam hadn't been there, I would have lost everyone, including Spencer."

"Daddy!" Spencer held up his hands.

"Okay," Nikolas said. He went over to Spencer and helped him down from the chair.

Spencer went into the bathroom.

_It was a long way up to that sink_, Nikolas thought as Spencer closed the door.

Nikolas turned back to Mike. "I'm sending Spencer away."

Mike's face fell. "Why?"

"I need to keep him safe."

"Can't you get more guards?"

"It was one of Helena's guards that set her free."

"Nikolas, there's got to be some other way to handle this than sending him away."

"I hate to do this, Mike. You're the perfect grandfather. Spencer is lucky to have you -- especially because you're the one connection he has left to his mother."

"He has Sonny, too."

Nikolas didn't touch that one.

"How much does this decision have to do with Claudia Zacchara?," Mike asked.

"You mean other than the fact that Helena actually shot Claudia?"

"I mean you obviously have feelings for Claudia if you let her stay with you. Does this decision in any way have to do with keeping Sonny from his nephew?"

"Mike. Sonny is Spencer's uncle in name only. He always has been. It's not like you and Spencer. Sonny has always kept himself away from Spencer. I wouldn't send Spencer away from you unless I had to."

"I'm sorry, it's just your timing is --"

"I don't want him growing up around danger. I want him to have a normal childhood. I'm done with nannies and guards for him. I don't want him spending most of his time with people who are paid to spend time with him. That's something I've only realized recently."

"So what does this mean? How long are you sending him away for?"

"I don't know. And I can't tell anyone where he's going either. But he'll be safe and happy there. And as soon as things are settled, you'll be back in his life. I would never keep you two away from each other."

"I hope not."

"All clean," said Spencer, coming back in the dining area. He tugged on Mike's pants. "I want to play table hockey."

"Then that's we'll do," Mike said, picking Spencer up and carrying him to a table. He nodded at Nikolas over Spencer's head.

Nikolas carried Spencer's empty plate and cup into the kitchen. He exhaled in relief. Then he went to check on the damage Spencer had done to the bathroom.

***********************************

Alexis' Office.

Alexis laid out two copies of a fresh legal document.

"I didn't have a lot to go on, so I basically set up two parts to the Will. One covers your basic worldly possessions and the other covers your son. I assumed you wanted the worldly possessions to be placed in a trust. If Nikolas has custody, he's more than equipped and willing to provide before the trust is given over to your son. I've already discussed this with Nikolas."

"Alexis."

"What?"

"Well. You know. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. You haven't met your witnesses." Alexis took out a pen and uncapped it. She handed it to Claudia. "I had no name to go with. For your son."

Great. Alexis was going to be the first one to know her child's name.

"I'm sorry if this is so abrupt," Alexis said. "Do you have a name?"

"Yes."

Alexis pointed to a line in the Will.

Claudia carefully printed the name in block letters on both copies.

Alexis looked surprised.

"What?," Claudia said.

"Nothing," Alexis. "I guess I was expecting something Italian."

"I thought I'd spare him the weight of his family history," Claudia said. "And yes, I did think of naming him after Nikolas, but I didn't want Spencer to feel strange about that. Spencer's going to have a tough enough time adjusting to a baby brother, even if it's 'Claudee's' son."

Alexis' intercom buzzed. She pushed the TALK button. "Yes?"

"They're here," her secretary announced.

"Ready?," Alexis asked Claudia.

"Sure."

Alexis pushed the TALK button again. "Send them in."

The witnesses came in.

One was some guy with enormous dimples -- bigger than Sonny's -- whom Claudia had never seen before. From the way Alexis was looking at him, Claudia guessed that his invitation was more about Alexis' frustrations than Claudia's Will.

Unfortunately, Claudia did recognize the second witness. It was Dr. Monica Quartermaine, and she looked at Claudia with the same disgust with which she'd looked at her the other night at the hospital. Oh, joy. Ah, well, whatever it took, right?

"Can we get this over with?," Dr. Quartermaine said.

"Thank you both so much for coming," Alexis said. She gave Claudia a pointed look.

"Yes," Claudia said, picking up her cue. "Thank you."

"I have two copies of Claudia Zacchara Corinthos' Last Will and Testament here to be signed and witnessed, so Claudia, if you would..." Alexis pointed out the signature lines.

Claudia signed each copy.

The copies were handed over to the guy witness. He signed quickly, smiling at Claudia. He handed the copies to Dr. Quartermaine and held out his hand, saying, "Ned Ashton. Quartermaine-in-Waiting."

Claudia tentatively took his hand and then shook it. "Thank you," she muttered.

"Anything for Alexis," he said.

Claudia tried to avert her gaze, but all that ended up doing was putting Dr. Quartermaine in her sights. Dr. Quartermaine signed the two copies so hard, the pen almost ripped the pages.

"Thank you," Claudia said.

"This isn't for you," Dr. Quartermaine said. "It's for Michael."

The hair on the back of Claudia's neck rose. "Michael?"

"Yes, the Quartermaines are more civilized about forcing custody issues. We like to do mundane things like sign documents, rather than hang people from meathooks."

"Thank you, Monica," Alexis said. "I'm sure Claudia appreciates that, since she's obviously trying to remove her son from that lifestyle."

"I'm sure," said Monica. "What does she plan on doing if she lives?"

"Well, now that we've all done what we came here to do, it's probably best to get going before anyone -- before we take up any more of your valuable time," Alexis said. "Ned, always a pleasure. Monica, thanks once again."

But Monica could not leave without the final word. She got up in Claudia's face. "You remember what you could have done when your child ends up shot because of the life you chose."

And with that, Dr. Quartermaine left.

Ned looked at Alexis. "I'm staying at the Metro Court," he said.

"I'll see you later."

He left.

Alexis folded up the copies of the Will and placed them in two separate envelopes. "I'll make sure they're safe," she said. "Thanks for not making a scene. I know how hard that is for you."

"If that's your idea of a compliment, it could use a little work. And thanks for bringing in Dr. Feelbad."

"Monica is very likely to keep this a secret. It wasn't personal, anyway. Her axe is really meant to be ground with Sonny."

Claudia had a feeling Alexis wouldn't feel that way if she knew the truth about Michael's shooting.

**********************************************************

The Office in Back of Sonny's Coffee Shop.

Jason came in as Sonny was finishing up a phone call.

"Spa See Bah," Sonny said into the phone, reading from a legal pad. "Spa See Bah Zah Zuhvah Knock."

Sonny hung up.

"What's that?," Jason said.

"Russian," Sonny said. He held up the legal pad. "This half of the paper says what it means, and this side says how to say it."

"Claudia make that up?"

"I told her what I needed, she said it out loud, I wrote it down like it sounded. Then I sent her out of the room and got Cassadine's guard in there, read it out loud to him, and asked him what I was saying. It all checked out."

"You're going to get rid of that, right?"

"I'm gonna take it home. Get good at it. I should have done this years ago."

Jason sat down. "What did the PCPD want?"

"It was bogus. We were out of there in twenty minutes. They tried to link the gun Claudia used on Helena to me."

"What did they have?"

"Diane's taking care of it. Did you start keeping an eye on Claudia?"

"I've been busy with Puerto Rico. I think I should take a trip there."

Sonny got up. "I told you I need Claudia taken care of."

"And I told you I think it's a bad idea to kill her."

"And that's it?"

"We kill Claudia, there are going to be casualties on our side. Milan won't take it lying down. It's not like when I got rid of Lorenzo. I told you, we're too mixed up with the Zaccharas."

"If you don't do it, I'll do it."

"I'm not saying I won't do it, I'm just saying we need to think this through. I haven't heard anything about when, about how, about where. And what are we going to do about her family once it's done?"

"Okay, see, now you're talking sense. Let's figure this out."

***********************************************

Wyndham's Department Store. Toy Department.

When Johnny was born, his mother Maria had been very good about making Claudia feel important as his big sister. So Claudia didn't need to figure out why she was drawn to Wyndham's when she was supposed to be helping Sonny out at the office.

She wanted to find something for Spencer. Something that would let him know that he was still important, and that it was a great thing to be a big brother.

So many of the toys were computerized. Claudia liked Spinelli, but the thought of a twenty-something Spencer speaking in impenetrable sentences in five different languages sent Claudia running from that aisle.

"Daddy."

Oh, no. Nikolas and Claudia had agreed that they would keep their distance. That was partly why they both felt so comfortable with Claudia provoking Sonny: he'd have no proof of anything.

And yet...

That was definitely Spencer's voice.

Claudia ducked out of the aisle she was in and peered into the next one. There they were.

"You like that one?"

"Up please."

Nikolas lifted Spencer up to the highest shelf. While Spencer was looking at some convoluted driving game, Claudia caught Nikolas' eye. He smiled. She quickly looked back at Sonny's man. He too busy watching Viktor to notice anything amiss. She smiled at Nikolas and surreptitiously waved. And then quickly left the department.

_This will all be over soon,_ Claudia thought to herself as she caught an elevator with her two shadows.

***********************************************

The Office in Back of Sonny's Coffee Shop.

By the time Claudia arrived, Sonny and Jason were gone.

Claudia opened her gym bag and removed some plastic gloves. She was about to put them on when she noticed Sonny's Russian crib sheet on the desk. She tore it off the legal pad, folded it, and put it in her gym bag.

Then she tore another sheet off, set it on fire, and threw it in the wastepaper basket.

Sonny was really making things too easy for her.

She put on her plastic gloves and removed the new flash memory. Time to see whether Nikolas was right.

***********************************************

GreyStone.

When Claudia got home, Sonny had dinner waiting for her. She followed the smell into the dining room.

"Where were you?," Sonny said as he came out of the kitchen.

"I thought we were meeting at your office." Claudia put down her bag and sat down. "What happened with the police?"

Sonny set a salad in front of her. "Nothing. What happened with Alexis?"

"You know lawyers. A lot of talk." Claudia took a bite and then paused as if something had just occurred to her. "Hey. You left your English to Russian cheat sheet at the office. You really shouldn't leave that lying around."

Sonny sat down at his side of the table and unfolded his napkin. "You pick it up for me?"

"I burned it."

Sonny dropped his fork. "You what?"

"Sonny, you think the police were overzealous about Enzio's gun? They would have been holding you overnight for that cheatsheet, and then you would've gotten ten years. From now on, burn those. We'll make new ones each time."

Sonny looked at her suspiciously.

"What?," she asked.

"What are you up to?," he asked, pointing his knife at her.

"What do you mean?"

"You're being all protective. Yesterday you were all threatening. What is this?"

"I don't know," she said. "One minute you're threatening me," she picked up her knife and pointed it at him, demonstrating. "... and the next you're telling me you'd never hurt the mother of your child." She put down the knife and picked up her fork. "What's _that_ about?"

She took another bite of her salad.

Sonny sat back and watched her. Sooner or later she was going to slip up. And he'd be ready for her.

But he didn't mention any of that. Instead, he casually said, "Your rocking horse arrived today."

******************************************

GreyStone. The Nursery. 3 A.M.

Claudia hoped she wasn't tempting fate or Sonny's consciousness by setting her alarm clock for 2:30 in the morning. She'd spent half an hour speeding through her digital recording and then she found it.

The whole plan for her murder. Claudia didn't think it was possible to love Nikolas any more than she already did, but her heart was now overflowing. The man was a genius when it came to planning, not to mention psychological warfare.

Claudia marked this flash memory with a small green adhesive flag and then taped it to the inside of the horse, alongside all the others.

She was probably the only wife in the United States, if not the world, who thrilled to the sounds of her husband detailing her demise. But Claudia had her eye on the prize. And all of her hard work, except for childbirth, was now done. She swung the saddle shut and secured it.


	34. Chapter 34

Interstate 80. Evening.

His last week with Spencer had gone by so quickly. Luckily, the drive out had been a little lengthy, so Nikolas got in a few extra days with his son.

The beat-up Chevy that Johnny had lent him was constantly making unusual sounds, but it had lasted the whole trip so far.

And as far as he knew, he hadn't been followed. The Jaguar was so distinctive that _not _using it was a surefire way to lose people.

He'd taken care of most of the paperwork preparation in a small rural upstate community. Untraceable.

He'd had a bad dream last night in his last stopover motel. The moment they were all finally together -- Nikolas, Claudia, Spencer and the baby -- Sonny had found them. Nikolas hadn't been able to protect Claudia in time.

He'd woken up in a cold sweat. It was the type of dream that, in a normal family, your wife would wake you up from and comfort you about. Instead, Nikolas now didn't even have his son to check up on and reassure himself with.

He had to turn off his phone to stop himself from calling Claudia. He missed her voice, all the different versions of it. The way it sang when she cajoled Spencer, its vulnerable tone when she was scared of caring too much, the teasing note that would creep in when she found a new nickname she thought would get a rise out of him, the crisp, clinical way it clipped through complex situations while breaking them down into minor points to be easily grasped and conquered. And at night, the passionate cries, the tender soothing murmurs. He even missed her angry full-throttle tirade voice. He'd keep that to himself when the time came to tell her about last night.

He'd been speeding the whole day on the road.

The whole trip back he'd had Spencer's mantra for the way out there running through his head: _Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?_

Just a little bit longer to go.

****************************************************

GreyStone.

Three weeks. Sonny thought it was a month and three weeks, but even if Claudia hadn't been in on Dr. Waters' little lie, she would have known there were only three weeks left.

For one thing, she couldn't see her feet anymore except when she was looking in a mirror. No more high heels for her.

Her stomach was stretched so tight she could swear she saw her kid's outline sometimes.

Sleeping through the night was a distant memory.

There were good points to this stage of the pregnancy, too. Her hair was shinier than it had ever been and was growing like one of those old Crissy dolls that her mother had given her and her father had thrown away. Her hands had swollen so much that she'd finally had an excuse to remove her wedding and engagement rings. All of Sonny's exes had stopped coming around to insult her. Max and Milo were doing things like rising when she entered a room and being oversolicitous about her needs -- but in weird ways, like asking her, "Is it okay to have the lawn cut today, or would the smell bother you?" (She didn't even know what that meant, but she suspected that if she asked, she get an answer that began, "When my mother was pregnant with me..." so she avoided pursuing the subject).

Lamaze was not her cup of tea. She got that childbirth would be painful, she got that it would take awhile, but really, all they needed to do was give her a PowerPoint presentation about what she needed to remember. The only other thing that interested her about the process was finally getting to meet her son.

She didn't care about watching the dvds of childbirth. She hated the touchy-feely sessions where everyone spoke about their fears. The first time she'd been to one of those, she'd had to scramble to make something up. She was worried that the truth might pop out, and instead of saying, "I'm so afraid that I'll hurt my husband's feelings in the delivery room," she'd say, "I'm so afraid that all our planning will be shot to hell and I'll only have a few seconds with my son before I die." That night, she'd gone home and made a list of socially acceptable fears which she'd trotted out for the rest of her sessions. She had the feeling John knew what was going through her head. Every time it was her turn to answer, he'd squeeze her hand reassuringly.

John was really good as a coach. And as an uncle. They were spending as much time together as they could, knowing what was going to happen. That was going to be the hardest part of all of this. For both of them. They never talked about it.

She missed Nikolas. Having her own room was a godsend. She was dreaming about Nikolas a lot, and was afraid she was talking about him while she slept. She'd woken up saying his name and reaching for him a couple of times. Then she'd shot up out of bed, checking the room for unwanted visitors.

She was pretty sure Nikolas was out of town, taking Spencer away ahead of the drama. The last time she'd seen them both at Wyndham's, they'd looked happy. Nikolas looked his usual confidant self. She really wished she could talk to him. There was something weighing on her mind, and Nikolas was the only person she could talk to about it.

Last week, she'd bumped into Carly at the hospital. Carly, who was just as far along as Claudia was. And Claudia had been overcome by the full weight of what she'd done. She tried to imagine what would happen to her if anyone ever harmed the child growing inside her. The enormity of what she'd done to Carly hit her all at once. Carly had carried Michael for nine months. Hoped for him, welcomed him into the world, raised him -- and then it was all taken away.

Claudia, Johnny and Nikolas were scheming and planning so that Claudia could survive, but it was also so that Claudia would never have to pay for what she'd done. So that she'd get away with it. She needed to make sense of this. She needed Nikolas.

***************************************************

General Hospital. Emergency Room.

Matt was supposed to be on a break while he was working his second shift of a double, but something was bothering Liz. So he kept working so he could keep an eye on her.

"Dr. Hunter," Nurse Johnson called out to him.

Oh, no. Matt went over to the administrative desk. "Yes?"

"Aren't you supposed to be on a break?"

"Are you opposed to a doctor working through a break?"

"Yes. And you would be too, if you'd been reading studies about doctor fatigue. And Nurse Webber, if you do not get that dislocation out of majors in the next five minutes, we are definitely going to have a problem."

"Actually, Nurse Johnson, that would be my fault," Matt said. "I reduced the dislocation."

"Really?," Epiphany said, making it clear she disapproved. "You're just full of improvements, everywhere you go, aren't you?"

"You don't approve of improvements?"

Epiphany was speechless. It even caught Liz's attention. Which caught Epiphany's attention. "Aren't _you_ due for a break, Nurse Webber?"

Matt and Liz hurried into the break room.

"Why are you antagonizing Epiphany?," Liz asked.

"I'm just doing my job. Antagonizing Epiphany is a fringe benefit. I'm looking forward to the night Claudia Zacchara is admitted."

At that, Liz grew distant again.

"Hey," Matt said. "Is that what's bugging you? You don't have to do this. I'm sure Nikolas will understand if you back out."

"Are you going to back out?"

"I took the Physician's Oath. I can't back out. Besides," he said, nudging her, "don't you think this will become a fantastic answer during a job interview some day?"

Elizabeth couldn't help laughing.

"Tell me about your ability to work under pressure. Tell me about a time in your life when you had to work towards a _dead_line."

"Matt..."

"Liz, what are you worried about? That wasn't an interview question," he clarified. "That was a Genius Doctor question."

"What if Nikolas is going to destroy Jason?"

"Really? That's what you're thinking about?"

"Yes. And what if Claudia has done something that she deserves to die for?"

"Have you ever known anyone who deserved to die?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Okay. Well, in answer to your first concern, Nikolas wouldn't destroy Jason because that would perpetuate the cycle he says he's intent on stopping. Right?"

"Right."

"And if Claudia deserves to die -- whatever that means, la la la, I can't hear you -- then that should be pursued through legal channels, not through some back alley murder after she gives birth to Sonny's child. That's my take on U.S. law. I could be wrong. After all, I _am_ being sued."

Liz spontaneously hugged Matt.

"Is this because I'm a genius?," he asked.

"No," she said. "It's in spite of it."

****************************************************

GreyStone.

Sonny stared out of the new patio doors.

Everything had slowed to a standstill.

Claudia had her routine and never varied it. Sonny sensed his tail on her guard would be bored and irritated with the assignment if Claudia wasn't entertaining him.

Every time Johnny visited -- which was more than daily now -- he was belligerent about Sonny leaving his sister alone.

Nikolas had disappeared. Both his car and his jet were in town, but the man himself was gone. Mike said Nikolas had sent Spencer away. Said it was about Helena.

Spinelli found evidence of one phone call between Nikolas and Claudia, which had happened the night before they'd met at Johnny's garage. Claudia had initiated that one.

Jason couldn't find out what was going on in Puerto Rico. Jason also said they had to make a decision about Dante soon.

Dante had stopped talking to everyone. Refused to write out email messages anymore.

The most exciting thing that had happened this week was the plant in Sonny's office had died.

By any normal standards, this should have been a happy time in Sonny's life. The baby was coming, and Sonny had never had more power. Anyone looking in from the outside would be jealous.

But he was locked out of the pregnancy. When the woman doesn't want to share the pregnancy with you, the man is out of luck. Claudia had finished the nursery. It was stocked with supplies and full of toys and furniture. She had been real clear about wanting to do it alone. Johnny was the birthing coach. Except for that one time with Dr. Lee, Claudia was not interested in Sonny feeling the baby kick or discussing names. He'd initiated a name conversation a few days ago, only to be shot down. Claudia called him a sadist.

When they'd bumped into Carly and Jax at the hospital last week, he'd thought he'd caught a glimpse of the old Claudia, yearning for a real relationship borne of the pregnancy. But once they were in the exam room, it was as if he wasn't there. Dr. Waters and Claudia were talking about her exercise routine, and weight increase, and body and mood changes, and Sonny realized he didn't know a thing about his wife. This was a business arrangement. It had worked as a business arrangement with benefits. For a little while. Now it was just a train wreck in training, barreling toward its inevitable tragic conclusion.

*************************************************

Wyndemere. Midnight.

When Nikolas reached the launch, he was told there were two people waiting for him at Wyndemere. One he expected. The other was a surprise.

He made his way up the path to the house and the door was opened for him. His bags carried inside. A full staff, but the place felt empty without Spencer.

He went into the living room.

"Viktor," Nikolas greeted his first guest. "Anything to report?"

"No," Viktor shot a quick glance at the young woman who was waiting, "Just that everything is ready."

"Good," Nikolas said. "Viktor."

"Yes?"

"When the day comes, leave your gun and all other weapons behind. But make sure that Mr. Corinthos' man -- the man following you -- does not notice and is fully armed." Nikolas handed Viktor a set of keys and a piece of paper. "Keep this safe."

"Yes, sir. Is that all?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Viktor left.

Nikolas held his arms open. Lulu ran into him.

"I've missed you," she said.

"I'm back now," he said.

Lulu took out two folded pieces of paper and handed them to Nikolas.

"What's this?," he said.

"It's part of what Claudia's been collecting. She hid them in her locker and Johnny couldn't get in to retrieve them. Because her locker is in a women's locker room. So here I am."

Nikolas stared at Lulu. He was wondering if this was a good idea or a recipe for disaster when Lulu spoke again.

"I think you're going to need some help on the day of, aren't you? Why not me?"

*************************************************

GreyStone. Claudia's Bedroom.

Claudia had finally found a comfortable position and drifted off to sleep. She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep when she woke up to raised voices coming from downstairs.

She tried to close her eyes and get back to sleep, but the voices got louder and she heard:

"Did you even tell her I wanted to see her?"

Michael. What was this about?

************************************************

GreyStone. Living Room.

"Keep your voice down," Sonny said. "She's asleep. She needs her rest."

"Fine," Michael said, quietly but urgently. "Answer the question."

"She doesn't need the stress right now, and I don't think it's good for you to be around Claudia. She's a bad influence."

"She's right here," Claudia said, standing at the top of the stairs. "Hi, Michael."

"Claudia. I need to talk to you."

"Okay. Give me a second to get dressed."

************************************************

GreyStone. The Grounds.

Sonny had hissed a few threats at her as she left with Michael. Because she didn't need the stress right now, Claudia thought sarcastically.

Michael had been quiet as they walked away from the house.

"I didn't know you wanted to talk to me," Claudia said. "I only just heard that."

Michael stopped in front of the bench, where they'd talked a few months ago about his parents. "Do you need to sit?," he asked.

"Thanks," she said, sitting down. "What's going on?"

"I have to talk to you about two things."

"Okay."

"I tried coming to see you after your car accident, but you'd already left my father."

"That's private, Michael. I can't tell you why --"

"I was the one who drove you off the road."

Claudia didn't say anything. That seemed like a lifetime ago. Before Alfred brought breakfast to the hospital. Before Spoon Island. Helena. But she remembered how it had felt when she'd come to, and no one was sure how the baby was. How she'd entered into a high risk pregnancy.

She looked at Michael. He looked nervous.

"Was it an accident?"

"Yes."

"I don't think you should tell your father about this," Claudia said. "Or your mother."

"Why?," he said.

"Come here," she said. Michael sat down beside her. He looked nervous _and_ uncomfortable now. She took his hand and placed it on her belly, moving it around. The baby kicked. "See? He's fine now."

Michael pulled his hand away.

When Claudia had first met Michael after he'd come out of his coma, there had been a huge streak of self-preservation running through her attempt to befriend him. But she did like Michael.

"Michael? The baby's fine. I'm fine. I'm not saying that what happened was right, but if you're anything like me, it's probably eating away at you every day. I don't think you need your parents' judgment on top of that."

Michael stood up. He walked away from Claudia. When he was a safe distance away from her, he turned around to face her. She couldn't see his face in the darkness.

"Claudia," he said. "I remember everything."

"Believe me, I understand."

"No," he said. "I remember everything. I remember you talking to me. When I was in the coma. That's the other thing."


	35. Chapter 35

GreyStone. The Grounds.

Claudia did not say a word. She needed to find out what she was dealing with.

Finally, Michael spoke.

"You visited once a week," he said.

"I did," she said.

"I wasn't sure about that until I checked with the clinic. You said the same things every time you came."

"Yes."

"Why? Did you think I'd forgive you?"

"I meant what I said, Michael. I'm sorry for what happened. More than you can know. That's why I visited."

He threw something at her. She caught it. Her mother's rosary.

"You brought that the first time," he said.

"I did." Her fingers traced over the beads.

"Why?"

"It was my mother's. It was the only thing I had to give that meant something to me."

So far, Michael had been low energy, speaking at a normal volume. Sonny said Michael would want revenge. Her instincts said one thing; everything she had learned about her subject said another.

"I would give anything if I could take back what happened to you, Michael." She spoke in measured tones.

Michael came into the light. "It's hard to know what to believe with you," he said. "You said you were my friend. And then this whole time you've been keeping something from me. You've been keeping the biggest thing in my life from me."

"I have."

"So how do I know you're not lying?"

"Look at me, Michael. I'm telling you I'm sorry. I came every week. Do you know what that's like, to see the damage you've inflicted every week?"

"I know what it's like to lose a year. To lose control of who you are and what you do."

"We've been alone. Together. And I knew that this day might come. And I never tried to do anything to you. What does that tell you?"

"You tried to kill my father."

No way out of this one. "Yes."

"You should have known that that wouldn't go away. That's something you're going to have to pay for."

_Looks like Sonny was right,_ she thought. "And I will," she said. "After the baby is born."

"What does that mean?"

"It means your father knows what I've done. He's made plans. But he wants the baby. So he's waiting."

Michael reached into his jacket and took out a revolver. He held it in the palm of his hand and stared at it.

"Michael?"

"The last time I shot one of these, it was an accident. Just like me getting shot was an accident."

"Michael, listen to me." Claudia thought about Nikolas and Johnny, and about the Will, and about all of the things hidden upstairs in the nursery. "I know you don't want to hear anything from me right now, but if this is something you're going to do, please don't let the baby die. Aim high, and get help for the baby right away."

"I don't even know if my dad really knows about you. How can I believe anything you say?"

"Michael. This baby didn't do anything. He's your brother."

"I didn't do anything and I got hurt. I don't want to hurt the baby. But something has to be done. You can't just do these things."

"You felt him kick. I know you did. He's just a baby."

"How old do you have to be before it's okay to get shot, Claudia?" Michael looked into her eyes. His eyes were filled with tears, and he was slowly losing control.

He raised the gun and aimed it at her.

And Sonny stepped out of the shadows.

"Michael," he said. "Give me the gun."

**************************************

Wyndemere. Living Room.

"You want to help," Nikolas said. A little preparation from Johnny would have been appreciated. How much did Lulu know?

"I don't know why Sonny wants to kill Claudia. I still hate her. And I still get nauseous at the thought of you with that --"

"Lulu."

"I'm not going to apologize."

"Then I suggest that you don't say anything I'd expect an apology for."

"I owe Claudia."

"For what?"

"For what happened on the witness stand. At Johnny's trial."

"She didn't do that for you," Nikolas said.

"I know," Lulu said. "But I got something out of it, didn't I? And it saved Johnny's life when I couldn't. I was Johnny's third choice, you know. To help. To go to Claudia's locker. But he doesn't trust Olivia, and he can't ask Maxie to do something that might hurt Spinelli."

"This is a very dangerous situation, Lulu. None of us were supposed to bring anyone else into it without checking with the others first."

"He couldn't check with you two. Claudia would be a knee-jerk no, and you were out of town."

"It's dangerous for you, too. If anyone ever found out that you had anything to do with this --"

"They won't."

"After this is all over, the three of us will be safe. Anyone else who played a part won't be, if they're found out. I can't take the risk."

"Okay, well, first of all, I can keep a secret. As well as anyone else can. And second of all, I'm pretty good at getting out of trouble."

"And what if you find out what Claudia did, and you wished you hadn't helped?"

**************************************

GreyStone. The Grounds.

"Give me the gun, Michael."

"Why should I?"

Claudia held her breath. This was not going to end well. But if Sonny got the gun, the baby would live. She was sure of that.

Sonny maneuvered himself between the gun and Claudia.

"Because this is taken care of," Sonny answered Michael.

"You don't know what she did," Michael said, as he tried unsuccessfully to aim the gun around his father.

"I know exactly what she did."

"And you're letting her get away with it?"

"Michael, if you do this, I'm the one who's going to pay. You don't know what it's like to kill someone. You don't know what it does to your soul. This would destroy your mother, and your brother, and me."

Michael didn't moved. There was a struggle going on inside him, and it was tearing him apart.

"I promise you, Michael, this is taken care of. Let's help your baby brother make it into this world now."

Sonny reached for the gun. Michael let him take it away.

"Claudia," Sonny said. "Go to your room. And stay there."

Claudia managed to push herself to her feet, and she made her way to the house, weaving a little, and moving her fingers across her mother's rosary beads.

When she reached the house, Sonny clapped his hand on Michael's shoulder. He put the gun safely away in his own pocket.

"I'm going to keep this, Michael," he said. "You let me handle this. You don't tell your mother until she's out of danger with her pregnancy. You don't tell anybody. Leave it to me."

**************************************

Wyndemere. Living Room.

Lulu's mind was racing. What could Claudia have done?

"It's late," Nikolas said. "You should get back to Port Charles before the piers become dangerous."

"Claudia knew what I did. When I killed Logan. And she helped."

"She helped Johnny. And she didn't care about Logan."

"I'm helping you. You and Johnny. Why does everyone think of me as someone who can't handle anything?"

Nikolas sat down on the couch. "We don't think you can't handle anything. We don't want you to get your hands dirty. We don't want to put you in any danger. Because we love you."

Lulu came and sat on the arm of the couch. "And I want to help you because I love you."

Nikolas ran his hand through his hair. "Aren't you still working for Kate Howard?"

"Yes."

"Can you leave work at a moment's notice?"

"I'll find a way."

"You work next to Maxie, don't you? You'd have to make sure she can't put two and two together."

"Please. That girl is so vacant, she couldn't put a --"

"Lulu. You need to treat Maxie like she's Albert Einstein. Because whatever happens, she's going to tell Sonny, Jason and Spinelli about. And she won't leave out any details. So even if you think she is inadequate to the task of figuring out what we're up to, those three will see it coming from a mile away."

Lulu begrudgingly thought over what Nikolas was saying. There was good logic to it. "How long until Claudia gives birth?"

"Officially, one month and three weeks. Unoffically, three weeks. Which means she's out of the danger zone. It could happen any day."

"If I helped, how would that work?"

"I'd text you. Let you know it was time. You'd go to my office at Cassadine Industries and wait for me to come from the hospital. And we'd start making copies."

"That's it?"

"Sometimes the most important details are pretty mundane."

"I can do mundane."

Nikolas smiled. "I doubt that. But it will be amusing to see you try. Welcome aboard."

**************************************

Metro Court Bar.

Alexis sat at the bar, playing with her olive.

Mac sidled up from behind.

"Waiting for Ned?," he asked.

She swiveled her stool to look at him. "Diane Miller."

"Ah," said Mac. "Can't help the pull of the mob, can you?"

"Diane is an excellent lawyer. Mob or no mob."

"Diane's turning into an ambulance chaser with the Brianna Hughes case."

"Did you come over for a reason? Or do you just like to needle me about my friends? You could be dealing with Scott Baldwin, you know. Or Ric."

"I know," he said. He gestured to the seat next to her. "May I?"

"If we keep my friends off-limits, absolutely."

Mac sat down next to Alexis and ordered a Rusty Nail.

"Can I ask you something?," Alexis said.

"Only if it doesn't involve your friends," Mac said.

Alexis gave a sardonic smile and then continued. "You and I have both been around the block romantically in Port Charles."

"I would agree with that." The bartender delivered Mac's drink.

"Nothing's ever worked out. For either of us. Robin and Maxie are out of the house. So you should be free to get out of this Eastern Seaboard waterloo of romance and ambition. As of right now, aside from Sonny being Kristina's father, I have no real reason to stay here. Why are we here?"

"Family. History."

"Look at Ned," she said.

"Oh, we're back to Ned, are we?"

"He has family here. He's a Quartermaine, for the love of all that is unholy. And he left. Went to New York. With his child. And he's happy."

"That's an illusion."

"You're no help."

"I don't know what to tell you, Alexis. Maybe we're here so that everyone who leaves can all find their way back when they're in trouble and need us. Like a lighthouse or something of that nature."

"Is that a reason to stay?," she asked.

"Until we find a better reason to leave," he answered.

"What have we here? Collusion?" Diane had somehow appeared out of nowhere and was standing behind them.

"Commiseration," Alexis corrected.

Mac finished his drink. "And now, I leave you both. Alexis, Diane, I'm sure I'll see you at the station at some point."

"Surely," said Diane.

"Thanks for the talk," Alexis said.

"Any time."

Mac left.

"Plotting another arrest?"

"No. We really were commiserating. I love your shoes."

"Steve Madden. Aren't they divine?"

**************************************

GreyStone. Living Room.

"I don't want Michael around Claudia ever again. No matter what," Sonny said. "That goes for Carly too. No Carly and Claudia. Understood?"

"Yes, boss," Max said.

"Yes," Milo echoed.

"Good. Now go home and have a good night. Send the guards for the next shift in to me."

Max and Milo left.

Sonny was worried. Michael was his mother's son. That was exactly like Carly going after A.J. during the Nurses Ball all those years ago. It was too close.

**************************************

GreyStone. Claudia's Bedroom.

Claudia paced the floor. Looked like anyone could get a gun around here but her. New rules in place. From now on, she didn't enter any room that didn't have good witnesses. And tomorrow morning, she was --

She jumped when there was a sudden knock at her door.

"Who is it?," she asked.

"Sonny." Sonny tried the door. It was locked. "Can I come in?"

"Not tonight. I don't think so."

"Come on, Claudia. We need to talk about Michael. Open up."

Claudia went to the door, but reconsidered. "I can't. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow."

She listened for a moment, and thought she heard him leave. Then she heard the door to his room shut.

She sat down on the bed and rubbed her belly. "Okay. Mommy's had enough of the peace, and the love, and the 'justice will prevail.' I'm going to make things right. No one's going to hurt you."

*****************************************

GreyStone. Early Morning.

Sonny was asleep on his bed, when someone knocked insistently on his door.

"What?," he said, waking.

The knocking continued.

He got out of bed and opened the door.

"Sorry to bother you, Mr. C. But I think this is important," Max said.

"What?"

The guard Sonny had put on Viktor stepped forward. "She ditched her guard, Mr. Corinthos."

"What are you talking about?"

"You wanted me to follow the guard. I did. He went over to Spoon Island last night. Then he went home. And when he got here this morning, your wife was gone."

******************************************

Pawn Shop. Elm Street.

The store owner was bleary eyed. This was the earliest he'd been up since... This was the earliest he'd been up. Ever.

He led Mrs. Corinthos into a back room, and took down a set of cases from a high shelf.

He opened up the cases.

"If you want something with less of a --"

"I'll take that one," Claudia said, pointing to the semi-automatic. "How much?"


	36. Chapter 36

Wyndemere. Nikolas' Bedroom.

Nikolas' cell phone rang. He woke up and picked it up.

"Cassadine. ... What do you mean? ... Keep an eye on her husband. Let me know when he changes locations. ... Thank you."

Nikolas hung up and hurried to his closet.

**************************************

Jason's Penthouse.

Jason came down the stairs. The pounding on his door was definitely Sonny's. He could hear the rage from upstairs.

Jason opened the door. Yeah. Sonny.

"Get me Spinelli. Now."

"He isn't here."

"What do we pay him for?"

"What's wrong?"

"Claudia is missing."

***************************************

Dr. Waters' Office. General Hospital.

Claudia sat alone in the office. Her foot was tapping uncontrollably on the floor.

Johnny came in. "What's going on?"

"You have to leave town now," she said, pushing herself out of the chair.

"Calm down."

"I will not calm down. Michael went all wacko last night. Pulled a gun on me. I'm done. I'm done waiting. Sonny is going to do something, or Michael is, or Carly is, and we're going to be too late."

The door opened again, and Dr. Waters entered.

"Mrs. Corinthos?"

"You need to induce me. Now."

*****************************************

Johnny's Garage.

Nikolas knocked on the door. "Johnny. It's Nikolas. Are you there?"

If Johnny was there, he wasn't answering. And he wasn't answering his phone either.

Where else could she be?

Nikolas' phone rang. He connected with the call. "Cassadine. ... Good. Keep on him. Let me know if he changes his location again."

Nikolas hung up.

He was running out of time to find Claudia.

*****************************************

Jason's Penthouse.

Spinelli came in, looking a little rumpled.

"Who do you work for? Huh, freaky boy?"

Jason pulled Sonny aside. "Sonny. I get that you're upset. But don't talk to him like that."

"I'll talk to him any damn way I want." He pointed at Spinelli. "You get out your computer and you find my wife."

Spinelli ran up the stairs.

******************************************

Dr. Waters' Office.

"So that's it?"

"Unless you're willing to take the risks involved in inducing early. Mr. Cassadine had the same idea -- it was one of the first things he discussed with me. But once he found out the risks -- "

Claudia let out a scream. "Why is this so difficult? All I want is for him -- " She gestured to her belly. "-- to get out here safely. Is that too much to ask?"

"Mrs. Corinthos, you need to calm down. Any change to your blood pressure will force me to put you on bed rest."

That shut her up. She sat down. Composed herself. Looked at Dr. Waters. "From now on, you call me Claudia. I don't want to hear the name Corinthos ever again."

*******************************************

General Hospital. Nikolas' office.

She hadn't been admitted to the hospital. Alexis said she wasn't at the police station.

Nikolas wracked his brain. He picked up the phone.

*******************************************

Jason's Penthouse.

Spinelli's fingers flew over his keyboard, while Jason and Sonny talked in heated whispers across the room.

"How'd he get a gun?"

"I don't know. But I'm gonna find out."

"Did you tell her that you took care of the gun?"

"I didn't get a chance. She wouldn't let me talk to her. Said we'd talk at breakfast."

Spinelli called out, "I have something."

Sonny and Jason hurried over.

"She called her brother."

Sonny turned to Jason. "Who do we got covering Johnny?"

"Nobody."

Sonny turned to Spinelli. "You," he said. "Start checking into Johnny's phone calls."

He grabbed his coat and left, with Jason in pursuit.

************************************************

Dr. Waters' Office.

"That's it. No discussion."

"You're right, there's no discussion. I'm not leaving now."

Dr. Waters sat behind his desk watching Johnny and Claudia as if they were a tennis match.

Nikolas burst in.

"Good. You're here," Claudia said. "Tell John he has to leave the country. Now."

"What are you doing?," Nikolas asked her. "How am I supposed to protect you when you evade my guard?"

"Your guard was doing an excellent job last night when Michael Corinthos pulled a gun on me."

Nikolas flushed with anger. "Where is Michael now?," he asked in a measured but dark tone.

Johnny stepped between Nikolas and Claudia. "Which one of you is going to be the reasonable one? Because we're running out of time."

Nikolas took Claudia by the elbow. He turned back to Dr. Waters and Johnny. "I'll have her back before her husband gets here. When he gets here, Claudia had an anxiety attack about her blood pressure this morning. So she slipped out to check in with you."

Nikolas pulled Claudia out of the room and led her down the hallway. His phone rang. "Cassadine. ... Thank you. Let me know when he reaches his next destination."

He hung up and pulled Claudia into a supply closet.

"What happened?," he asked her.

She paced around the small space. "I did something."

"What did you do?"

She stopped and faced him. "I've been visiting Michael. In the hospital, and then at the clinic. I talked to him."

"When he was in the coma?"

Claudia nodded.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him his mother and father loved him and missed him. I told him it was my fault. I told him I was sorry."

Nikolas pulled Claudia closer to him.

"I went every week. It didn't change anything. It didn't make me feel any better. But I thought maybe he could hear me."

"Like your mother."

"Yes," she said.

"He heard you?"

"He remembered. He came to kill me last night. What are we doing?," she asked him.

He didn't need to ask her what she meant. "We're saving you. And your baby."

"I saw Carly last week. And all I could think of was how she'd birthed Michael. Raised him. I took him away. I'm supposed to get away with that?"

"Come here," Nikolas said, helping her down to the floor and sitting beside her. "The night we met, when I asked you why you didn't go to the police about Sonny, you said that in your world, that wasn't how you did things."

"I know, but --"

Nikolas pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "Even if you went to the police now, you'd be dead in a matter of days. Whether in prison or while you were out on bail. And not because of what you did to Michael. Because you were breaking that stupid Code you all live by. They'd all be scared of anything you might say. And your son would become a victim. Someday, he would."

Claudia began to cry.

"We can't make it right," he said. "No one can fix what happened. In your world or in my world. But we're finding the best way to end this."

He kissed her temple.

Her tears slowed, and she wiped them away.

"I bought a gun," she said.

"When?"

"Today."

"What happened last night? After Michael threatened you."

"Sonny took Michael's gun away. Said he was handling it. Sent me upstairs. I'm not safe any more."

Nikolas was quiet.

"You got me a gun," she said. "When I was in here. So I could feel safe. It makes me feel safe. I can protect myself now."

He pulled her hair back. Turned her face toward him. "I think the gun will make things worse."

"Things can't get any worse, Nikolas."

"Really? What are you going to use the gun for? Can you picture yourself hurting Michael if it came to that?"

Claudia was taken aback by the question. She was silent. And then she raised her eyes to his, and said, "No." Which was pointless, since he already knew the answer.

"Is there any way Sonny might find out you now have a gun?"

Claudia's face fell.

"You have to tell him before he hears it from anyone else. And you have to give him the gun. I don't care what you come up with, but you've got to convince him that you got the gun in a panic, and now you realize there's a better way of dealing with this."

Claudia buried her face in her hands. Nikolas pulled her hands away from her face.

"We're almost there," he said. "When you finally come to the hospital for the last time, you have to come in through the emergency room. And you and Viktor have to be weapon free. Anyone you don't want with you has to be armed. Can you make that happen with what you have to work with right now?"

She pulled herself together. Took a deep breath. Looked him in the eye. "Yes."

"Good." He kissed her. Kissed her belly. Looked at her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm always okay with you. It's everyone else I have a problem with."

He laughed.

"I miss you," she said. "How are you doing without Spencer?"

"I'm managing," he said. "Although he started saying 'please' a lot lately, and I find I've been adding it on to my sentences since he's been gone."

She laughed. "How are you doing without Alfred?"

"Do you think I'm helpless?"

"Only in some areas," she said. She kissed him.

His phone rang again. "Cassadine. ... Thank you. ... You can resume your regular duty when she leaves here with him. " He hung up. "Sonny's here," he said. "Come on." He got up, and helped her up.

"Back to the battle," she said.

"Yes, please," he answered.

*****************************************************

Dr. Waters' Office.

When Sonny arrived, Claudia was having her blood pressure taken by Dr. Waters. Johnny was at her side.

****************************************************

GreyStone. Living Room.

Max, Milo, Sonny and Claudia entered the living room. Sonny headed for the kitchen.

"Sonny," Claudia said.

He turned back to her. "Yeah."

"Can I talk to you?"

Sonny nodded at Max and Milo, and they left the room, leaving Sonny and Claudia together.

Claudia walked over to Sonny. She reached in her purse, took out the gun, and handed it to Sonny.

"I panicked," she said. "After last night."

"Where'd you get this?," he asked.

"Elm Street. I can take care of it, if you want."

"No," he said. "I'll have one of the guys do it."

Claudia went into Oscar bait mode. "I totally get why Michael did what he did. But it scared me. And I have to feel safe right now. For the baby. Dr. Waters says that if my blood pressure changes, I have to go on bed rest. Because I could give birth prematurely."

"He told you that?"

"His exact words were 'Calm down or I'll have to put you on bed rest.' And then he added the lovely premature part. Because it was sure to shoot my blood pressure up."

Sonny sat down on the couch. "Can we talk?," he said.

Claudia sat down a little away from him.

"I know you don't like Dr. Waters," Sonny said.

"It's not that I don't... I don't trust him."

"You don't trust anyone."

"Can you blame me? I need to feel safe. Until the baby's born."

"You are safe."

Claudia fixed Sonny with a highly skeptical stare.

"Tell me what you want me to do," Sonny said. "I'm not promising anything."

"I want a guard who's fully armed, who can take care Helena."

"You don't like the protection Mr. Cassadine is giving you?"

"She took out my guard, Sonny! I'm not carrying a weapon! You think I didn't almost have a meltdown when she clipped me?" Claudia thought tears might be in order, so she shed a few. "She was making jokes about anemia not being good for pregnant women." She turned her head as if to hide her tears from Sonny. Just for good measure.

"You need to calm down."

"I don't get it," she said, openly weeping now. "How can you be so calm? I thought you wanted this baby."

Sonny slid closer to her on the couch. "Hey," he said, reaching for her. "Hey, it's okay. Of course I want this baby. I love our son."

"So how can you risk his life when he's inside me? I need to know that he's taken care of."

"You got it."

Claudia looked up, as if startled. "I do?"

"Yeah," he said. "Michael's not allowed around you anymore. Neither is Carly. And I'll get you an extra guard, on top of my guy following Sven."

"Viktor."

"Whatever. You got three guys now. They'll be armed to the teeth. I'll even have each of my guys carry an extra weapon, just in case of an emergency where you might need one."

Claudia threw her arms around Sonny. "Thank you. Thank you."

Sonny didn't know what to do. He patted her awkwardly. He hoped the hug didn't last long.

***********************************************

Wyndemere. Living Room. Night.

Nikolas brought Viktor into the room.

"Anything new?"

"She has two guards now. And they're carrying extra weapons."

"Very good. Don't forget to go to the emergency room."

"I won't."

"One more thing." Nikolas reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo of Michael. "Make sure this person never gets near her."

"Understood."

***********************************************

In the end, Viktor never had to worry about Michael.

Because two weeks later, at 4:00 PM on a Wednesday, Claudia went into the nursery, closed the door and called Nikolas from a cell phone that had never been used before and was registered in Spencer's name.

"I'm in labor," she said, as quietly as she could. "You can start everything."


	37. Chapter 37

GreyStone. The Nursery.

Claudia sat down in the rocking chair, talking into the cell phone.

"About seven hours ago ... six minutes apart. ... No. It should be awhile. How long should I give you? ... Okay. ... I love you too. ... I will."

She hung up.

She went into the closet and took out a replica of the labor bag she'd given John. She went over to the crib and opened up its false bottom.

*********************************************

General Hospital. Nikolas' Office.

Nikolas waited for his call to connect. "Johnny? ... It's Nikolas ... She's in labor. ... It's going to take awhile, but you need to get out of there as fast as you can. I'm going make the call in five minutes. ... She sounded good. I think you're going to get the worst of it. ... See you soon."

He hung up, and dialed again. "Dr. Waters? ... Nikolas Cassadine. Mrs. Corinthos is in labor ... Seven hours. ... Six minutes apart. ... She didn't tell me. ... All right. ... Thank you."

He pulled up the Nurses' work schedule on the computer. Then he looked up the Doctors' work schedule. Elizabeth and Matt were both due in an hour. They could wait.

He picked up a cell phone, purchased for this occasion under Alfred's name. And he texted Lulu. "Looks like I can make dinner. Meet me at my place after work. S.D." Spencer's Dad. He sent the message. At least she wouldn't miss any work. One worry out of the way.

He checked his watch. Picked up his phone again. _So this is how it feels to press the red button._

He dialed. "Mr. Chiarelli? Nikolas Cassadine. ... Sì. ... Oggi è il giorno." _Today is the day. _" ... È Claudia capire. ... Tutto è pronto." ... _You know Claudia. ... Everything is ready. _"Un'ora. ... Potrai sentire da lui a destra prima del piano decolla." _One hour ... You will hear from him right before the plane takes off. _ "Ciao."

Nikolas hung up. He turned around in his chair and stood up. He removed the painting behind his desk, revealing a wall safe. He entered the combination. He took out three envelopes and a folded set of papers. Closed the safe back up. Returned the painting to the wall.

Time to call Matt and Liz.

***********************************************

After Uncle Rudy called Javier Rivera in Puerto Rico, Javier Rivera did not wait the agreed upon hour. He'd been waiting for over ten years to avenge his uncle's death. One more hour was a little too much to ask.

Every Corinthos loyalist in Puerto Rico was summarily executed. Then Javier Rivera left a small army of his own men behind in Puerto Rico and boarded a private jet to Sonny's island.

***********************************************

Metro Court Hotel.

Johnny sat waiting in the lobby. He had a file beside him -- the same one he'd removed from Trevor's file cabinet all those weeks ago.

Olivia hurried out to meet him. "John?"

Johnny stood. He handed Olivia the file. "Page Two. It details where I was held by Sonny's men. I'm sure that's where you'll find Dante. I would use the F.B.I. if I were you."

"Where'd you get this?"

"It's all in the file. Good luck." Johnny headed out of the Metro Court.

"Where are you going?"

"To meet someone new," he said, never breaking his stride.

***********************************************

GreyStone. Claudia's Bedroom.

Sonny shook Claudia awake.

"What?," she said. "What's happening?"

"I have to go to Puerto Rico," he said. "Rivera is trying to take over the territory. I think most of our men are gone."

Claudia rolled over onto her back, trying to distract Sonny from the fact that a contraction had just begun. She tried looking like she was thinking really hard, instead of like she was about to grab him by the throat to relieve the pain.

"I don't think you should go to Puerto Rico," she said, when the contraction had passed.

"Why not?"

"You're outnumbered. But it's your call. Who do you have to take with you?"

"Jason's getting the names together for me right now."

Claudia nodded. "Do you need me to do anything?"

"Not yet. Will you be okay if I go in to the office?"

"Can you leave my two guards behind with me?"

"I'm going to probably need one of them."

"Okay," she said.

"But the one you're getting is locked and loaded."

"Thank you."

"I'll have dinner sent in for you."

"Thanks."

Sonny left.

_So long, jackass,_ she thought. She looked at her bedside clock. _But so much for Puerto Rico sticking to the game plan._

**************************************************

Hidden Room Under General Hospital.

Helena's Lab had been transformed.

The outer room was a comfortable waiting area. There was a seating area with a T.V. and refrigerator. There were empty archival boxes, a full size garbage container on wheels, and extra pillows and baby blankets. And there was a closet and a bathroom.

The inner room was a state-of-the-art delivery room fully stocked with every amenity available.

Nikolas sat in the waiting room, flicking through news channels on the T.V.

The outer door slid open and Johnny wheeled his luggage inside, while carrying Claudia's labor bag.

"You're late," Nikolas said.

"I forgot the labor bag and had to go back," Johnny said, letting the bag fall to the floor.

"Puerto Rico started without us."

"Yeah?" Johnny checked out the T.V. screen.

"Sonny will be looking for you even sooner."

"Does this give Claudia enough time?"

"It better."

*************************************************

The Office Behind Sonny's Coffee Shop.

"I don't think there's any way to get Puerto Rico back, but we should be able to take back the Island," Jason said.

"We need to get on that soon," Sonny said. "Before it weakens us in anyone else's eyes."

"I think he's got maybe a hundred of his own men."

"If we can take some of the Zacchara men, and pull some Russians, we should have enough manpower here and over there to smooth things over."

Sonny's phone rang. He picked up and connected to the call. "Yeah? ... When? ... You tell them to hold steady until I tell them otherwise." He hung up.

He threw his phone across the room, shattering into unsalvageable pieces.

"What happened?"

"We lost Russia."

"How?"

"Same as Puerto Rico, only bloodless. They say they're sending our people home to us. We gotta teach the Russians a lesson now."

Jason's phone rang. He picked up. "Yeah? ... I know, his phone broke. ... When? ... What about their guys here?"

"What's going on?," Sonny asked.

Jason shook his head at Sonny. "I gotta get back to you." He hung up. "The Zaccharas took back Italy. The three men we had out there are on their way back. And the Zaccharas we had here just defected to the Five Families."

"Not possible."

"I'm telling you. This is real."

"Well, it's gonna reverse itself. Because we have the Zacchara crown prince. They're gonna have to meet our terms."

*************************************************

GreyStone. Living Room.

Claudia came down the stairs, grasping the railing and pulling a labor bag behind her.

"Hey!," she called out to Sonny's guard. "I think I'm in labor." She winced and cried out. "Help me!"

The guard rushed to her side.

"It's not supposed to happen this fast. Isn't it supposed to take like eight hours? All of a sudden my water broke, the plug is gone, and the contractions are like five minutes apart! Do you have a sister or someone we can call to ask?"

"We'd better call your doctor," the guard said.

"Can't we do that on the way to the hospital?," she said, a little hysterically. "Can you get the other guard?"

"Other guard? Your husband --"

"The one outside," she said. "Viktor."

***************************************************

General Hospital. The Waiting Room for Claudia's Delivery Room.

Johnny and Nikolas were glued to the T.V. screen.

Dr. Waters entered.

"Where's the patient?," he said.

Nikolas looked at his watch. "She should be on her way."

*****************************************************

Johnny's Garage.

The knocking continued frantically.

"Open up, Johnny," Sonny said in a voice that was slightly threatening.

"Back up," Jason said. "On three. One. Two Three." Gunshots rang out and the door fell open.

The garage was empty. Not a car being worked on.

"Check the back," Sonny said.

Max hurried into the back room. He came back out. "He's gone."

That double-crossing traitorous -- No. Oh, no. What was the name of the guy guarding Claudia? Freddy. "Jason," Sonny said. "Get Freddy on the phone."

"On it."

*********************************************************

Claudia's car.

Freddy was in the front seat driving when his phone went off.

"Here!," Claudia yelled at him. "No, there! You passed it -- look, it says 'Emergency Room' -- just back up or something."

Freddy backed up. He popped open the locks on the doors. He picked up his phone. "Yeah."

Viktor swung the labor bag over his shoulder and helped Claudia out of the car. Claudia took a few deep and slow breaths.

"We're at the hospital. The emergency room. She's in labor. ... We couldn't get the doctor in, and we couldn't get Mr. Corinthos on his phone. I left a voice mail. ... Okay, Mr. Morgan."

Freddy hung up in time to see Viktor and Claudia inside, Viktor helping Claudia into a wheelchair and asking the administrator something.

Freddy hurried out of the car, and rushed inside the emergency room doors. And a loud siren-like alarm went off. He was shoved back by two security guards.

One of them pointed to a large metal detector that Freddy hadn't noticed before. "Would you mind removing your coat, sir?"

"I'm with Claudia Corinthos -- the pregnant woman. Where'd she go?"

"We can help you in just a moment, sir. Please remove your coat and any metal objects you may be carrying."

************************************************************

General Hospital. Elevator.

The key was in the floor lock. The basement button was pressed.

Claudia smiled at Viktor. "You're good," she said. "Are you coming with us?"

"What is in this bag?," Viktor said. "It is very uncomfortable."

*************************************************************

General Hospital. Emergency Room.

Sonny and Jason burst through the doors. The alarms went off full-force again.

The guards exchanged a look and surrounded Sonny and Jason.

"My wife is here," Sonny said.

"This will just take a moment, sir. Would you mind removing your coat?"

Jason removed his coat. The guards disarmed him and sent him back through the metal detector. The alarm went off again.

"What is this?," Sonny said. "We were just here a few months ago. What is this?"

"Sir, please. Please remove your coat and any metal objects."

"Liz," Sonny called out, seeing his friend at triage. "Where's Claudia?" He removed his coat and the guards disarmed him, sending him back through the metal detector.

Liz looked up. "I don't know. I haven't seen her. Dr. Hunter?," she called out.

Matt stuck his head out of an exam cubicle. "What's up?"

"Have you seen Claudia Corinthos?"

Matt looked at Sonny and feigned a memory clicking into place. "The pregnant woman with a gunshot wound a few months back?"

"Yes," she said.

"She didn't belong in Emergency. I sent her up to Maternity."

"She's not there," Freddy said, coming in from inside the hospital. "I checked."

Sonny and Jason were finally let through, their guns and knives deposited with the guards.

"Let's go," Sonny said to Jason and Freddy.

The three men left the Emergency Room and went into the hospital proper.

Matt and Liz exchanged a look.

Epiphany passed in between them, glaring at Matt.

"You and your damned metal detector," Epiphany said.


	38. Chapter 38

Cassadine Industries. Nikolas' Office.

Lulu entered the office, putting down her handbag and a pizza.

This place was fully decked out, with two couches, a desk, and a conference table. There was even a fireplace.

It looked like someone had recently squeezed in all of the equipment that would be needed for tonight. Two copiers. Digital recording duplicators. Flash drives. Brand new portable hard drives still in their boxes.

But none of that was what first caught Lulu's eye.

No. That would be the multiple T.V.s. The stereo system.

Lulu had no idea why Nikolas spent most of his time at his hospital office instead of here.

That refrigerator was inhumanly slick. Lulu opened up the refrigerator. Fully stocked. A note taped on top of the beer: "Lulu, Just don't drink anything alcoholic. Take as much as you want of anything else. Nikolas."

Lulu took a soda can and popped it open. Then she sat down in the largest, plushest chair and turned on the T.V.

"In other news, Puerto Rico is still reeling from this morning's series of gang-like executions."

Who needed to see _that_? Lulu changed the channel.

**************************************************************

Hidden Room Under General Hospital.

The outer door slid open and Viktor wheeled Claudia in.

Nikolas and Johnny hurried to her side.

"Sonny's on his way, if he's not here already," she said.

"How are your contractions?," Dr. Waters asked, helping her up and leading her into the delivery room.

"Five minutes --," she turned to Viktor for confirmation, and he nodded. "Five minutes apart. 60 seconds long."

"You were cutting it close," he said.

"It all worked out," she said. She sat on the bed as another contraction ripped through her.

Nikolas hurried over with his three envelopes. "I have the documents ready for --"

Dr. Waters shook his head at Nikolas. "Not now."

Nikolas looked at Claudia. Her eyes were closed. She moaned a little.

"Claudia?," Nikolas said.

"Give her a minute," Dr. Waters said. "This is normal."

In a minute, Claudia's eyes opened again. She turned to Nikolas.

"Hi," she said. She kissed him.

"Hi. Are you all right?"

"Mm-hmm. Puerto Rico started early."

"I heard."

"What do you have for me?"

Nikolas opened the first envelope, and took out a set of papers. "Divorce," he said, holding out the papers and a pen.

Claudia signed.

"Annulment," he said, holding out the next set.

Claudia signed.

"Custody."

Claudia signed.

She looked up and saw Johnny transferring the contents of the fake labor bag into an archival file box. "John?," she called out.

"Yeah?"

"Leave the two wrapped presents for me. The camera too. That's for you to take pictures of the baby."

"Okay."

Claudia turned to Nikolas. "I put together the real labor bag too early. I forgot a few things. Oh. Anything marked with green tape is what you can use for immediate leverage. Everything else is good, but you only really need it for back-up."

"All right."

"The flash memory with the green tape is really important. That's the conspiracy to commit murder."

"No statute of limitations."

"Right. I made an extra copy of it just in case mistakes are made. You being the guy who usually orders people to make copies and not being used to doing busy work."

"I'll be careful."

"Just in case."

Another contraction. Claudia went inside herself.

Nikolas put the envelopes away, sat down next to her on the bed and put his arm around her.

Viktor came in.

"Clothing?," Viktor said.

"In the closet of the waiting room," Nikolas said.

Viktor nodded.

Nikolas took out the other set of papers.

Claudia came out of her fog.

"Hey," Nikolas said.

"Hey. What do you have there?"

"It's a photocopy of your Will. Just in case Sonny finds you."

"'Kay." She took it and put in on the table next to her bed.

Viktor came in, wearing an EMT uniform. "I am ready," he said.

"Johnny can tell you about the car," Nikolas said. "Here are your other keys."

Viktor went back into the waiting room.

"I have to go change," Nikolas said.

"Okay."

"I'll be back."

He kissed her. She stroked his cheek.

He pulled away and went into the other room.

"John?," she called out.

******************************************************

General Hospital. Maternity Ward.

"People do not just disappear," Sonny haranged Nurse Crowell. "Not when they're as big as my wife is right now."

"Sonny," Jason said.

"And she's got a big Russian dude following her everywhere."

"Sonny. Can I talk to you?"

Sonny and Jason went over to the waiting area.

"Nikolas isn't in his office. And get this: Dr. Waters is on vacation."

Sonny got a dark look on his face.

"Sonny. I have to get back to business."

"Yeah."

"We can't have any more defections. And I've got to get your island taken care of."

"Yeah."

"I've put a guard on every entrance into this hospital. If she's still here, she's not getting out. Can you handle the rest of it on your own?"

"Leave me Freddy."

"Okay."

**************************************************

General Hospital. Service entrance.

Viktor came out, dressed in his EMT uniform. He pulled his cap down over his eyes and walked past two men who were clearly on a stake out. Whether it was legitimate or mob-initiated, he wasn't going to stick around to find out.

He searched the parking lot and saw the Buick that John Zacchara had left for him. He went over, took out the keys and popped the lock.

He slipped inside and opened the glove compartment. The directions were there.

He fired up the engine and left G.H. for the garage at Crimson Pointe.

**************************************************

Claudia's Delivery Room.

Nikolas came back into the delivery room, dressed in a security guard's uniform, complete with hat.

He sat down next to Claudia, and waited out a contraction.

"I have to go," he said when her eyes focused.

"I know," she said, her eyes now filling with tears.

"It's only a few more weeks."

"I know. I just -- keep safe. Be very careful."

"I will."

She stroked her thumb across his lower lip.

They kissed.

They pulled apart. She straightened his tie.

"You look really good in uniform," she said.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said.

She pulled him back to her and hugged him tightly. "I love you," she whispered in his ear.

"I love you too," he whispered back. He probably never hated Sonny more than he did right at this moment. This was something Nikolas was supposed to be here for. And he was leaving.

After a moment, she pulled back. She was struck again by how unbelievable it all was that he was doing all of these crazy things for her.

"All right?," he said.

She nodded, brushing a tear away.

He kissed her one last time.

Then he left, picking up the file box full of evidence on his way out.

************************************************

GreyStone. Living Room.

Max, Milo and Jason came into the house.

"I have to go to Puerto Rico for awhile," Jason said. "This is going to be a rough time here. Our people are going to start to get scared. I'm going to be depending on you two to keep things on track with the men who work for Sonny."

"What about Mrs. C.?," Max asked.

"Sonny says he'll take care of finding her."

"Any direction you want to give us for right now?," Milo asked.

"Yeah. Check out the house. Claudia may have left something behind, some kind of clue about where she is or where she's headed."

Max and Milo nodded.

************************************************

General Hospital. Emergency Room.

Nikolas pulled his hat down over his eyes and kept his head down.

Liz made him out right away, and stifled a grin.

"You!," Epiphany said, pointing to Nikolas.

Nikolas turned her way without looking up.

"You got permission to take that box out of the hospital?"

Nikolas took a form from his pocket and handed it to Epiphany. The permission form, coincidentally enough, had been signed by Nikolas Cassadine. Epiphany looked it over, and then looked the box over.

"Okay. You can go," she said.

Nikolas went out through the metal detectors, only to be stopped by one of Sonny's men.

"What's in the box?," Sonny's man said.

"Who are you?," said Epiphany, who had followed Nikolas out. "What are you doing on my property? Keep this up and I'll have you taken in for disrupting emergency care."

Nikolas slipped away, making a mental note to give Epiphany a raise.

*************************************************

General Hospital. Nikolas' Office.

Monica Quartermaine watched Sonny slip into Nikolas' office.

She hesitated, and then followed him inside.

Sonny jumped at the sound of the door shutting behind her.

"Hello, Sonny. Nikolas is out right now. May I help you?"

"He...has...my...wife.," Sonny said through gritted teeth.

"What do you mean?," Monica asked. She hadn't seen Nikolas since before she'd signed the Will, and had been wondering about the connection between Nikolas Cassadine and Claudia Corinthos.

"My wife disappeared. She's giving birth. Do you know anything about it?"

"No," Monica said. "Why would you think Nikolas had anything to do with this?"

"Do you know where he is?," Sonny said, raising his voice.

"If I did," she said, "I wouldn't tell you."

"He's taking my son!"

"Well. I know how that feels. You have my sympathy. Now if you'd please..." Monica opened the door and held it open for Sonny.

Sonny left, followed by Monica. She locked the door behind her.

*************************************************

GreyStone. The Nursery.

Max and Milo stood with their mouths agape, surveying the nursery.

Every piece of furniture had been cracked wide open. There were empty baby supply boxes strewn haphazardly on the floor.

The rocking horse was missing its saddle and appeared to have an empty hollow belly.

They glanced at each other.

"You tell him," Milo said, hurrying out of the room.

Max followed him out, calling out to him, "You opened the door. You saw it first. You tell him!"

*************************************************

Diane Miller's Office.

Max had called earlier. Cancelled their date.

She had made plans for an early getaway from the office and now this. A glowering Sonny demanding she obtain a search warrant.

"That would not be my department, Sonny. You'd need to talk to Mac about that."

"I need you to do something. File something. Call it a missing person's report."

"She needs to be missing for twenty-four hours."

"Can we sue him for something?"

"For what?"

"I don't know! That's your job!"

"Do not raise your voice to me. And I will try to figure something out."

There was a knock on Diane's door. She was never getting out of here.

"Entrez!," she called out.

Two men dressed in crisp suits entered.

The first one flashed an F.B.I. identification card. "Ma'am, tonight we rescued one of our agents from an abandoned building owned by your client Michael Corinthos. We'd like to ask a few questions."

**************************************************

Claudia's Delivery Room.

Claudia was soaked in sweat, grimacing.

"Now? Oh God, please let me push now," she pleaded with Dr. Waters.

"I'm sorry, Claudia. I know how hard this is. But you're not dilated enough. You're feeling pressure because the baby descended before you were ready. He's pressing against your cervix, but you're not dilated enough."

"Is that bad?," she asked anxiously.

"No. Can you hang on?"

Claudia moaned, and then nodded.

Johnny held a glass of water up to Claudia's mouth. She took a sip.

"You're doing great," Johnny said. He wiped her face with a wet cloth. "You're gonna make it."

The contraction passed. Claudia took a deep breath and looked at the fetal monitor. Everything was in normal range.

"I'm sorry," she said to Dr. Waters.

"No need to apologize. It shouldn't be too much longer now."

Johnny rubbed her back as she shifted on the bed.

Claudia turned to Johnny. "Have I totally ruined you ever wanting to be a father?"

"You're gonna have to do a lot worse than this."

Claudia cried out in pain again.

"Come on, Claudia," Johnny said. "Breathe. Breathe through it."

Claudia was starting to appreciate those breathing exercises. The contraction passed. She looked into Johnny's eyes.

"You're so good. I missed you so much when I was away." Claudia started to cry. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"Hey," Johnny said. "I promise. We'll see each other again. And it won't take as long this time."

"Claudia," Dr. Waters said. "You're ready. You can start pushing with your next contraction."


	39. Chapter 39

Cassadine Industries. Nikolas' Office.

Lulu finished making her third copy of the clone of Spinelli's computer. She loaded it into the designated box.

"Do you need a hard copy of anything?," she asked.

"Just do a snapshot of the hard drive and print out a copy of the internet history."

"Okay."

Nikolas looked pale. That was never a good sign. He'd been listening to the recording with the green tape on it while he made copies of it.

"Nikolas?"

"Yes."

"What's wrong?"

Nikolas took out his earphones. "It's Sonny and Jason. This the tape about Claudia's murder."

"What do you mean?"

"They're planning it out. It's pretty graphic." Nikolas looked at Lulu, shaken.

"What is it?"

"They were going to take her out of the hospital while she was still weak from giving birth. Take her out to the woods." NIkolas' voice began to shake. "Put a bullet in her head. And bury her. She would have just gone missing. They were going to blame the Russians."

Lulu looked like she was going to be sick.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you."

"No. It's okay," she said. She hoped Johnny never had to hear about this. She also felt a little shaky, thinking about all the times she'd gone to Sonny or Jason, asking them to leave Johnny alone. She looked at the pile in front of her, and then she looked at the clock. "We should hurry up and finish. I have to get to the hospital soon."

Nikolas nodded. He picked up a stack of handwritten letters and passed them to Lulu to copy.

***************************************************

General Hospital. Loading dock.

Viktor parked the empty ambulance in the empty loading dock space. He got out and handed some papers to the security guards there. The guard checked the papers and nodded.

Viktor walked all the way to the front entrance parking lot and waited. From the entrance, a man in a leather jacket began to watch him. Viktor pulled the front of his cap down even further.

**************************************************

Hidden Rooms Under General Hospital. Waiting Area.

The outside door slid open. Matt and Liz hurried in, wheeling in a gurney.

"Who's out there?," John called out.

"It's just me. Liz. And Matt."

Matt opened up the closet and removed two more outfits. He passed one to Liz.

She threw it back at him.

"This one's yours," she said.

Claudia cried out from the delivery room.

***************************************************

Claudia's Delivery Room.

"Just one more push, Claudia. As soon as the next contraction comes, that should do it."

Johnny wiped her face again and then grabbed her hand. Liz came in, dressed in an EMT outfit, and grabbed her other hand.

"How are you doing?," Liz asked.

"You did this _twice_?," Claudia asked incredulously (and a little hysterically).

"You haven't gotten to the good part."

And that's when it happened.

Claudia was overcome by a contraction.

She cried out and bore down.

Dr. Waters helped the baby out.

And placed him on Claudia's chest while Liz cleaned out the baby's nose and mouth. Dr. Waters cut the umbilical cord.

"Claudia," Dr. Waters said. "The next push should be a lot easier than all of the others. You can go ahead with that whenever you're ready."

Claudia bore down again.

"A little more," Dr. Waters said. "Very good."

Claudia touched the baby's head. "Oh my God," Claudia said, starting to cry. "Here you are. Hello, little man. Hello."

The baby inched his way up Claudia's chest.

"Oh!," she said.

"That's the good part," Liz said.

John cradled the back of the baby's head as Claudia pulled the baby up to her and cradled him in her arms.

"Look, John! Look! It's your nephew."

"He's beautiful," John said, teary-eyed.

"Liz," Claudia said. "There's a camera in the labor bag. Could you...?"

"I'll go get it."

"Look at him," Claudia said. "He has my mother's eyes."

"He has your mouth," Johnny said.

"That's _your_ mouth," she said. "He's so beautiful. Isn't he the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" She gently took the baby's hand. She bent her head forward and whispered, "I forgive you for that cervix pressing thing, but you owe me."

"Hey," Liz said. "Look up."

"Wait," Claudia said. "John, come here."

Johnny squeezed in close to Claudia and the baby.

Liz snapped three pictures. She handed the camera to Claudia.

Claudia gave it to Johnny. "Those are for you. For later."

Dr. Waters came over and pressed the baby's feet onto an ink pad. And put the footprints on a birth certificate.

"Name?," he asked.

"Jonah," she said. "J-O-N-A-H. No middle name. Just Jonah." She gently caressed the baby's cheek.

"Hey," Johnny said.

"Well, you know. It's like John. But it means 'dove.' As in peace." She looked up sharply at him. "This has nothing to do with me looking like a whale for the past few months."

"I would never think that," he said. "Thank you."

"Johnny," Liz said.

"I know," he said. He turned to Claudia. "I have to get changed."

"Okay," Claudia said.

"I'll be right back."

"We should get the baby ready, too," Liz said. "Okay?"

"Wait, I --" Claudia kissed the top of the baby's head, and then wiped away some tears. "Okay."

"Matt!"

"Right here," Matt said. He was now dressed in a security guard's outfit. He rolled up his sleeves and grabbed a baby blanket. He took the baby.

"Claudia?," Liz said. "I'm going to help you shower a little and then we'll get you changed. Nikolas had a seat put in the shower, so hopefully we'll be okay. How are you feeling? Can you do this?"

Claudia struggled to get up. Liz helped her out of the bed. Claudia's legs gave out. Dr. Waters hurried to Claudia's other side and they lifted her up and brought her into the bathroom.

***********************************************

Diane Miller's Office.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Corinthos. That checks out with what our agent told us. We'll be looking for the men that did this to him."

"I hope you find them," Sonny said.

The two agents left Diane's office.

Diane rested her chin on her hand. "My, my, my. You have been a very busy boy, Mr. Corinthos. Any idea why the agent didn't give you up?"

"He's my son."

"Another one?"

"Diane. Call Mac Scorpio."

***********************************************

Claudia's Waiting Room.

Johnny was dressed in a maintenance worker's outfit. Dr. Waters handed him the birth certificate. "That's for Mr. Cassadine."

Johnny nodded.

Matt finished lining a file box with a pillow and a baby blanket. "Claudia?," he said.

She came out of the bathroom, assisted by Liz, dressed in a clean robe.

She looked at Johnny, and fresh tears started running.

"Don't start," Johnny said.

She shook her head.

"You've been trying to get me out of here for months," Johnny said. "It's finally happening. I'm doing something you told me to do, without a fuss. You should be happy."

She threw her arms around him. He held her up. He kissed her cheek.

He pulled back and helped her to the couch, where they both sat down.

"Listen to me," he said.

"Uh-huh," she said, wiping at her face.

"We were kept apart before," he said. "And you fought your way back to me. No matter what, I'm going to find my way back to you."

"It's too dangerous."

"It won't always be. No one can make us stay apart."

Dr. Waters brought Jonah out from the bathroom, all cleaned up and dressed.

"Look. You made a person," Johnny said.

"I know," Claudia said. She stood up on her own. "You should hurry."

Johnny got up and dumped his luggage into the rolling garbage container and closed the lid. He turned back one last time.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," she said.

Johnny left, rolling the container in front of him.

Matt was quiet for several minutes. He looked at his watch. "Claudia?"

"I know." Claudia wiped away her tears and steeled herself.

Dr. Waters handed Claudia the baby. She kissed Jonah and then placed him in the file box. She tucked the blanket around him. She nodded at Matt. Matt put the cover on.

And Matt left with the baby.


	40. Chapter 40

General Hospital. Back Entrance.

Lulu loved this outfit. It was like playing spy. She'd never _really_ understood the buzz her parents got from disguises and escapes before, but now... now she got it. And all things considered, she'd rather be a chauffeur than work for Kate Howard.

And she loved this limo. She wasn't so hot at driving it, but there wasn't too far to go.

A man in an EMT outfit knocked on her window. She rolled it down.

"Lou?"

"Lulu."

"Viktor."

"Hop in."

Viktor went to the back of the limo and got in. He looked out his window. The man in the leather jacket who'd been watching Viktor looked like he'd just been handed a Christmas bonus. The man in the leather jacket went inside the hospital.

"Where's your luggage?," Lulu asked.

"Already there," he said. "Are you not going to pick up Mr. Zacchara as well?"

"Yeah. I mean, yes, I'm picking him up too."

"He is over there." Viktor pointed. "But hurry. We have been noticed."

Lulu looked more closely at the guy by the dumpster. No wonder that guy wasn't dumping the garbage into the dumpster. A little hint about John's disguise would have been nice.

Lulu shifted into 1st, and the car jolted forward.

"Sorry!"

Viktor didn't seem to care.

She slowly pulled up to John. Rolled down her window again. "Going my way?," she said, pulling up as Viktor opened the back door.

The man with the leather jacket returned, accompanied by another, rather large man.

Johnny grabbed his luggage out of the garbage, threw it in the back seat and dove in after it. "We got company," he said, slamming the door shut on the two guys following him.

"Okay, okay," Lulu said. "Let me just --" She shifted into 3rd. The gears grinded. "Shoot."

She started again. The car began to roll forward and Sonny's men jumped back as it jumped the curb.

Lulu righted the car, and gunned it. Sonny's gunmen lost sight of the limo just as they reached their own car.

"How are we doing back there?"

Johnny grinned. If Lulu had been any kind of decent driver, they'd probably all be dead by now.

Viktor wondered why a child had been sent to drive.

********************************************************

General Hospital. Loading Dock.

Matt pulled his hat down, and brought the file box to the guards.

"What's this?," the guy on duty said.

"Ahm suhpposed to bring this here." He shouldn't have chosen a Southern accent. He didn't know what he was doing. Too late now to change. "There's a woman bein' transferred to Mercy, and they needed these files too. Ahm to accompahnay they-um."

"Do you have a signed slip?"

Matt handed over the permission form.

The guard pointed to the ambulance in the dock. "That's your ride."

"Thank ye." _Thank _ye_? Get in the van, Matt._

Matt carefully balanced the box and opened the passenger side door.

From the curb, out of the corner of his eye, he saw two guys watch him, and then discount him.

Matt climbed in with the box, shut the door behind him, and went into the back.

He opened the box up. The baby cooed.

"Excellent silence skills, Jonah," Matt whispered. "Give me five." He held up his hand and then lowered it back down. "Maybe when you're older."

**********************************************************

Liz and Dr. Waters helped Claudia up onto the gurney.

Liz picked up Claudia's labor bag. "Do the presents go in here, Claudia?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to gather everything that's yours that's not in the bag and put it in a plastic bag, okay? And both bags will go under the gurney."

"Okay. Thank you."

Dr. Waters leaned over Claudia.

"I'm putting some bottled water under the gurney, too," Dr. Waters said. "You really need to re-hydrate in the next few hours. Normally you wouldn't be allowed out this quickly."

Claudia nodded. As Dr. Waters went to move away, she grabbed his arm and pulled him close to her.

"I know," she said. "I know you didn't want to do this. But you saved my baby's life. And there is no way to tell you how grateful I am now and always will be."

"Just keep him away from the guns and the knives."

Claudia's eyes closed as she momentarily thought of Michael. Then she opened them. Dr. Waters was looking at her strangely. "Yes, sir," she said, covering.

Dr. Waters loaded the bottled water under the gurney.

Liz turned to Dr. Waters. "Are you going to be able to get out safely?"

"I'll be fine."

"Then I guess we'd better get going."

She put her hair in a ponytail and tucked it under a baseball cap. She looked at Claudia.

"Claudia, can you pull up that sheet a little and use the pillow to hide your face? Good. Let's go."

Dr. Waters opened the sliding door for them, and Liz wheeled Claudia out.

**********************************************************

GreyStone.

Sonny came in the front door. Max and Milo were waiting for him.

He headed to the living room.

Max stepped in front of him.

"What are you doing?," Sonny asked.

"You got company, Mr. C."

"Who?"

The doors to living room opened. Nikolas Cassadine was standing there.

"Welcome home, Sonny. We need to talk."

*************************************************************

Lulu pulled up to the Port Charles airport. She pushed a button and the divider between her and her passengers came down.

John was now dressed in normal clothes. So was Viktor.

"We're here," she said.

"Thank you," said Viktor. He got out of the car.

Johnny came to the divider. He passed packet of folded papers to Lulu. "That's for Nikolas. It's the birth certificate."

"Okay," she said.

Johnny hesitated. "I guess this is it," he said.

"Bet you never thought you'd end up here that day you pulled over your car to pick me up, huh?," she said.

"See?," he said. "We started with me driving you, and we end up with you driving me."

"Driving you crazy, you mean," she said.

"In a good way," he said. He smiled at her, beginning to feel a weird sense of closure. "I'm glad we were together for as long as we were, Lulu."

"Me too."

"And I hope you find everything you're looking for."

Lulu smiled wistfully. "I hope you find someone who makes you happy and keeps you on your toes."

"I already had that," he said. "I just need to learn how to keep it." He leaned into the front seat and kissed her on the cheek.

And then he grabbed his luggage and stepped out into the night.

**************************************************************

Port Charles Police Department. Mac's Office.

"My client," Diane Miller repeated, "will not be sated by a few well-chosen words."

It was a struggle for Mac to look concerned. It had been a long night. There was a lot of mob activity, and it wasn't from the usual suspects.

"We'd like an investigation," Ms. Miller said.

Claudia Corinthos had gone into the hospital. No one knew where she was. She hadn't come back out. And Nikolas was involved.

"If you would at least consent to do a cursory search of the building, that would be a start."

Mac knew exactly where Claudia was. It didn't take a rocket scientist. Then again, how would Sonny or Diane know about Helena's hidden rooms under the hospital?

"Barring that, perhaps an interview with Nikolas Cassadine?"

The next time Alexis got him messed up with Cassadines _and_ the mob, Mac hoped she would let Mac in on exactly what he was getting into.

"Commissioner Scorpio, may I have some indication that something is going to be done?"

Claudia had been missing for eight hours. If he massaged the law a little, Mac could begin a search in four hours. If he buried this in bureaucracy, Nikolas would have eighteen more hours.

"Ms. Miller," Mac said, finally. "I'm happy to see Mr. Corinthos taking an interest in the right side of the law."

Diane's face froze. Precisely what she was afraid of.

"But this is a tricky case," Mac continued. "How do we know Mrs. Corinthos wants to be found? She never checked into the hospital. Were she and her husband having domestic issues? Maybe _he_ should be our first interview. In eighteen hours. When we're first allowed -- legally -- to investigate."

**************************************************************

General Hospital. Loading dock.

Matt saw Liz and Claudia being stopped by security. And they appeared to be attracting some attention from the two men outside the loading dock.

Matt peered down into the box. "I have to cover you back up again, Short Stuff. Keep thrilling me with your silent act." He put the cover back on the box, and tucked the box away to the side.

Liz wheeled the gurney down to the ambulance. Matt opened the back doors.

"We have company," he said under his breath.

"I saw." She handed the bags to him, and the water.

"What's going on?," Claudia said quietly.

Matt and Claudia lifted Claudia inside the ambulance.

"Two men outside the entrance watching," Matt said. "We need to get out of here fast."

"Wait," Claudia said quietly, but firmly. "You both have to get out of the ambulance again."

Liz and Matt stared at Claudia.

"Are you crazy?," Matt hissed. "Those guys are huge."

"Well, you know what?," Claudia hissed back. "I'd do it myself, only _I'm the one they're looking for_. My son is not going to end up in the arms of the man who murdered his mother. So man up, Wussy Pants."

Matt stared at Claudia.

"Liz has to go back to the security guards." She turned to Liz. "Make up something. Tell them you need a copy of the patient transfer forms. And then, Matt, you will be tired and frustrated with your partner. For making you late. You will go out to Sonny's men and bum a cigarette."

"I don't smoke."

"Then say you're going to smoke it later. Who cares? Bum a cigarette. Make some small talk about the weather or the moon or whatever. Let them ask you about your patient. Give them an answer."

Matt nodded slowly, catching on.

"Good. Go ahead, Liz."

Liz fix Claudia with a not-so-nice glare, and then left the ambulance.

Matt and Claudia sat in silence. Claudia noticed that Matt's hands were shaking.

Claudia patted Matt's arm. "You're going to be fine. And if I know one thing, it's that you have a higher I.Q. than eight of Sonny's men added up together."

Well, that was certainly true. Matt went back out, shutting the back doors behind him.

"Jonah?," Claudia said quietly. "Mommy's here." The baby sighed a little. "How are you? Hmmm?" Jonah cooed. "I know. I know." Claudia wondered if Nikolas knew what he was doing, involving the nurse and the doctor. They were both a little vanilla. She began to sing softly to Jonah, as if singing a lullaby, "_Regrets... I've had a few..."_

Liz came back in. She was quiet. She opened her mouth to speak and then shut it again.

"Go ahead," Claudia said.

"You were way too harsh on Matt. The man is in the middle of a lawsuit. The last thing he needs is to bending the law, and yet here he is helping you out. He volunteered for this. He's not your hired hand."

Claudia rolled over onto her side and looked Liz in the eye. "I have no illusions about what we're doing, Liz. And believe me, I know exactly how much I owe you both."

"Then what are you sending Matt out there for?"

"Because if we just drove off, they'd follow us. Some of us would end up dead. And the rest would end up in legal trouble. Which, as you pointed out, is the last thing Matt needs. You don't like the way I do things? That's okay. I'm a big girl. But the things I do -- that's a different story. I'm right about this. And I won't back down."

Matt came back in, shutting the doors behind him.

"What's up, Doc?," Claudia said.

"You're an eighty year-old Asian man," Matt said. He tossed an unlit cigarette at her. "With lung cancer complications brought on by smoking."

"I hope I can live with that," Claudia said.

Matt smiled. "You were right about the I.Q. thing." He curved his thumb and forefinger into a circle. "One of them thought the moon was this big." He looked through the circle up at the moon.

Claudia and Liz laughed. And the tension was broken, at least for a moment.

"Who's driving?," Liz asked.

"The one who can drive through a tornado with Godzilla giving birth in her backseat," Matt answered.

"What?," said Claudia.

"You can take that question," Liz muttered to Matt.

Liz climbed into the drivers seat. She checked under the seat and picked up the driving directions.

Keys in the ignition.

_Away we go,_ she thought, as they pulled out of the loading dock. Sonny's men were conferring. She held her breath as she left the street. They did not follow.

In the back, Matt took Jonah from the box and gave him to Claudia. He tucked the blanket around him.

Jonah kicked his little feet in the air. Claudia laughed. "So they work out here, too, huh?" She kissed the baby. "Ciao, piccolo." Her eyes kept searching over him, not quite believing that he was hers, he was healthy, and he was in her arms. "Did you have a good trip up the elevator?," Claudia said.

"He was perfect," Matt said.

Claudia smiled, finally believing things might work out. "He is," she said, as ambulance began its journey out of Port Charles.

***************************************************************

GreyStone.

"Where's my son?," Sonny said.

Nikolas gestured to a small package on Sonny's desk. "We have some things to discuss." He looked at Max and Milo. "Gentlemen, if you would excuse us."

"What are you doing, bossing my men around? This isn't your Dracula Island," Sonny said.

"If you'd prefer they'd stay, that would be fine, too." Nikolas began unpacking items from the package.

Sonny nodded to Max and Milo. They began to leave the room.

"When are we going to tell him about the --"

"Shut up," Max said, closing the doors behind them.

Sonny lunged for Nikolas' throat. Nikolas gasped for breath.

He brought his hands up and pried Sonny's hands from his throat.

Then he kicked Sonny's legs out from under him.

"I prefer to handle this civilly," Nikolas said. "But if you persist, I will have no choice but to defend myself."

Nikolas went back to the package. He continued as if he had not been interrupted. "Before I begin, I should tell you that --"

Sonny lunged for Nikolas again. This time he tackled him to the ground. "Where is my son? What have you done with my son?," he shouted.

Nikolas made a sudden move, and chopped at Sonny's windpipe. Sonny fell back onto the floor, struggling for breath. Nikolas took the opportunity to disarm him.

Nikolas went back to the package. "The next time you interrupt me," he said. "I will bring this package or one of its copies to the authorities. And you will end up in a little prison cell for the rest of your miserable life. Knowing as I do your susceptibility to claustrophobia, I wouldn't take that risk if I were you. Your sister was the mother of my child. I do know things about you."

Sonny struggled to his feet, regained his breath, and then sat on the couch.

"Thank you," Nikolas said. "As I was saying, before I begin, you should be aware that there are many copies of these items in various locations. In fact, this is not the complete package. This is just a sampling. One of the complete versions is stored with Claudia's Uncle Rudy, whom I am sure will be happy to take action against you once he hears this. If we can't come to terms."

"Hears what?," Sonny asked condescendingly.

Nikolas took out a digital recorder and pressed PLAY. Sonny's voice issued forth from the recorder. "...we take Claudia from the hospital quick enough, she won't be armed and she won't be able to fight back..." Jason's voice interrupted. "That still doesn't solved the problem of the Zaccharas." Sonny again. "You'd be surprised how little they're gonna care when they find her with a bullet in her head. Anthony's already tried to pull it off himself."

Nikolas clicked it off. He slowed his breathing down. Got the anger under control. Continued. "I'm sure you remember that discussion in its entirety. It was quite graphic. Very specific. Both you and Jason contributed to 'the plan.' This package contains enough evidence to put you -- and Jason, and Spinelli, among others -- away for life. There won't be any need for your testimony, so there will be no opportunity for a plea bargain."

"This is blackmail."

"Prove it happened. But before you do, be sure that you don't want what I'm blackmailing you with out in the open."

"Look, I don't care about Claudia. Keep Claudia. But give me my son."

"He's not your son. He's Claudia's son."

Sonny shot up and got up in Nikolas' face. "You shut up. You know nothing. That woman is a child killer."

Nikolas casually leaned back against Sonny's desk. He continued as if Sonny had not spoken. "I have made a list of the charges you will be brought up on if this package makes its way into the hands of the authorities." Nikolas tapped his hand against each of the little piles he created as he reeled them off. "Conspiracy to commit murder. Trafficking. Accessory before and after the fact."

"She got my son shot. She tried to kill me."

"Extortion. Money laundering. Tax evasion."

"Everything I did, she did too."

"She was not foolish enough to leave a trail. Grand theft. Petty theft. Racketeering. Fraud."

"This isn't over. You tell her I will get my son."

"Assault. Illegal wiretapping. Illegal computer access."

"You have no idea who she is."

"You have no idea who I am. Illegal computer interception. Data interference. Federal systems interference."

Sonny went silent as his eyes fell on the evidence. He worked his way slowly down the desk, scanning documents.

Nikolas continued. "Consult your lawyer. See what she says. I am sure that when you present her with the options -- hypothetically, of course -- she will urge you to do as I ask."

Sonny needed to talk to someone who wasn't a textbook. "Where's Claudia?"

Nikolas laughed at Sonny. "You think she'd talk to you? Or were you thinking of something more sinister? Some weeks back, Claudia had a Will witnessed, which states that should anything happen to her, her child will go to me. That, too, is stored with all our evidence. I hope this will dissuade you from trying to silence her."

"What do you want?"

"A divorce and annulment for Claudia. And a renouncement of custody for your son. You have twenty-four hours to decide, after which there will be no choice. If you feel that isn't sufficient time, remember that it took me one day to dismantle you. One day and a little planning. Remember that."

Nikolas put everything back in the package except the list of potential charges. He laid the list out on Sonny's desk.

He turned back to Sonny. "I feel sorry for you. Truly. What you went through as a child were things that no child should ever have to experience. But think back to the way you treated Claudia, the death you were planning for her. Congratulations, Sonny. You outdid your stepfather with that one."

Sonny looked like he was ready to murder Nikolas on the spot.

Nikolas tucked the package under his arm. "I almost forgot," he said. "Claudia wanted me to return this." Nikolas pulled out Sonny's pen and placed it back into its holder.

Nikolas walked to the doors. He turned back. "Can you hear that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The ticking clock," Nikolas said.

**************************************************

An Isolated Country Road Just Outside of Port Charles.

Liz pulled the ambulance up next to a late model station wagon.

"What's going on?," Matt asked.

"We're here."

The driver got out of the station wagon.

"I don't believe it," Liz said. She hopped out of the ambulance and ran to the driver.

"Liz!," Laura said, hugging her. "What a wonderful surprise!"

"I can't believe Nikolas didn't tell me."

The back doors of the ambulance opened and Matt hopped out. Laura watched as Matt smiled at Liz and gave her a big thumbs up. And Liz laughed warmly. And looked like she was ...

Laura looked at Liz quizzically.

"There's too much to tell you," Liz said.

"Okay," Laura said. "I'll get it from Nikolas."

Liz and Laura went in back of the ambulance.

Matt and Liz brought the gurney out of the ambulance.

"Hi, Laura," Claudia said.

Laura smiled at Jonah. "Look at your little boy."

"Can you believe it?"

"He's beautiful."

Matt started loading Claudia's things into the station wagon. "Do you have far to go?," he asked Laura.

"I'm afraid so," Laura said. "But we thought it would be less conspicuous driving this than the ambulance."

"You're right there."

Laura took Jonah from Claudia.

Liz and Matt helped Claudia up.

"Can you make it?," Liz asked.

"I think so," Claudia said. But she stumbled a little bit. Matt and Liz helped her to back of the station wagon.

Claudia sat on the bumper. She looked at Liz and Matt. "Thank you for my son. Thank you for my life."

"It was our pleasure. Sort of," Liz said.

"And if he ever needs a middle name...," Matt said.

Nikolas had odd but good friends, Claudia decided.

Liz went over to hug Laura one last time, while Matt closed up the back of the ambulance and then climbed into the driver's side.

Liz made her way back to the ambulance and climbed into the passenger's side. The ambulance took off.

Claudia crawled into the back of the station wagon. And a face peered over the passenger's side seat.

"Claudee!"

"Spencer!"

Laura handed Jonah to Claudia.

"This is your baby? From your stomach?," Spencer asked.

"Sì. This is Jonah. And we brought you a present."

Claudia opened her labor bag and brought out a wrapped present.

Spencer's mouth shaped itself into a perfect "O."

He took the gift and disappeared back into his seat.

Laura covered Claudia in a blanket. She ducked out of the back and shut the back door.

Spencer popped his head over the seat again. "You stay?," he asked Claudia.

"Yes, Spencer," she said. "I'm here to stay."

Laura got into the driver's seat. "Okay, Spencer -- back into your seatbelt. Oh my goodness -- is that a present from Claudia?"

"Yes. And the baby," Spencer said.

"What do you say?"

"Open it."

Laura and Claudia cracked up.

Spencer quickly added, "Please."


	41. Chapter 41

Wyndemere. Spoon Island.

Nikolas looked around the living room. Most of the books had been shipped that day. He was going to have to start in on his clothing tomorrow. Although most of it could probably be tossed.

He'd spent so much time preparing for the baby to arrive, that he hadn't handled some of the practicalities of Ever After.

Lulu poked her head in the door and waited for Nikolas to notice her. When he looked up at her, she tipped her chauffeur's hat at him and smiled. And came in.

"Everything went smoothly. Except for some damage to the car. Which was my fault. And this --" she handed him the birth certificate papers "-- is for you."

"Thank you," Nikolas said. He opened up the birth certificate. He traced the baby's footprints with his fingers.

Lulu surveyed the room. "You're leaving for good," she said, in realization.

"Yes," he said. "But you'll be able to find me."

Lulu sat down on the couch. Nikolas had been dreading this moment. Lucky would be fine. Lucky had existed without him before. Alexis had a whole family. But aside from whatever strange family relationship there was with Carly, and Lulu's occasional visits to Lesley, Nikolas and Lucky were basically it for Lulu. And Lucky was a little less rational about his baby sister than Nikolas was.

Nikolas sat down next to Lulu and turned to her.

"You're the reason I came here in the first place," he said.

"I know," she said. Nikolas had told her that for a long time, she was the only Spencer family member he'd really had.

"You gave me a life, a whole new world. Anything good that has happened to me, happened because you brought me here." And it was true. Lulu was the first person who ever made him happy. And he would have never met Emily if he hadn't lived in Port Charles. Or Courtney. And as much as it would have pained Lulu to be aware of it, there was no other place on earth where Nikolas would have crossed paths with Claudia, regardless of everything they had in common, including their independent international journeys.

Lulu began to cry. She tried to wipe the tears away. She looked at him. "I don't know how to be here without you," she said.

"Well," he said. "I'm here for at least another week. If you change your mind --"

"No," she said. "I couldn't live with Claudia. We're just -- It wouldn't work. Visits would work though."

"You have another few weeks to get to Italy if you want to."

Lulu was quiet.

"If you want to," he repeated.

"I don't think so. I lose myself when I'm with Johnny. We love each other, but we end up hurting each other, and losing ourselves, and I don't think it's a good idea."

"You still have some time. Just in case you change your mind. And if you ever, ever need me, I'm always a phone call away. I'll drop everything for you." With that, Nikolas kissed the side of her head.

****************************************

Alexis' House.

The knocking was polite, but insistent. So probably not Sonny. But it was late. She could feign sleep, if it came to that.

The knocking wouldn't stop. She got off the couch and went to the door.

It was Mac. And a bottle of fine brandy.

She opened the door wider, beckoning him inside.

"Are you sure?," he said. "It's about Sonny."

Alexis came outside and closed the door behind her.

Mac opened the bottle and took a swig. He held the bottle out to Alexis. She looked at it with some distaste.

"Live a little," he said.

Alexis took the bottle, wiped the mouth and took as dainty a sip as she could.

"So," he said.

"Yes?"

"Helena's hidden room at General Hospital. That was quite a brainstorm."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Claudia Corinthos. Giving birth."

Alexis wagged her finger at Mac, shutting him down. "You see, this is where you don't understand me. I know none of this -- I know none of the details. Because I am the district attorney. If I knew anything, I'd have to do something about it. So I never know anything. That didn't come out right. My point is, I don't allow family members I love to tell me details."

Mac took a big swig of brandy. "Well, tell your nephew that he has about sixteen hours to clean up whatever he did in Helena's secret room. If he did anything in Helena's secret room."

Alexis snatched the bottle away from Mac. She took a large swig. Choked a little. Caught her breath. Looked Mac in the eye. "Is there any point to our jobs in this town?"

"None whatsoever. But the titles are nice."

"That they are," she said.

****************************************

The sign on the side of the road said, "Now Entering Beecher's Corners."

Laura steered the station wagon through roads that were by now second nature to her.

She turned onto a dirt road and followed it to its end, finally coming to a stop in a gravel driveway in front of a small, cozy house.

She looked at Spencer. He was asleep, clutching the toy doctor's kit Claudia had bought him.

"Claudia," Laura whispered. No answer. She looked in the back. Claudia and the baby were asleep. Laura gently shook Claudia's shoulder.

"What?," Claudia said sleepily.

"We're here," Laura whispered. "I'm going to take Spencer in, and then the baby. Then I'll come help you inside."

"Okay," said Claudia. She closed her eyes again. She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew, Laura was waking her up again.

"Are you in a lot of pain?," Laura asked.

"It's not too bad," Claudia said, slowly crawling to the back door. "I've had worse. Do you think Nikolas is all right?"

"He's a Cassadine. He can survive anything."

Claudia fixed Laura with a no-nonsense look. "I know their history."

"Okay, granted the others haven't been so lucky. But he's The Cassadine. He survives everything. Hold on to me," Laura said.

Laura helped Claudia up, and then into the house. There were a couple of rocky moments on the steps up to the porch, but Claudia got a determined look on her face after the second one, and that was the end of that.

"Don't you need to close up the car?," Claudia said.

"Where we are, the worst that could happen is a raccoon climbing in," Laura said.

Claudia looked around. Isolated. And this was the first time she'd heard crickets since Spoon Island.

They entered the house, and Laura turned on the lights. It took Claudia's breath away.

Toys. A playpen. A cradle. And a banner with "Welcome Home, Baby" scrawled across it.

Claudia's hand flew to her throat as she took in the room. "Thank you," she said. "I never... I didn't have a chance to ..."

"No baby shower, huh?," Laura said.

"I'm not really the shower type," Claudia said. _First I'd have to find a friend_, she thought.

"Come on," Laura said, leading her toward the back of the house. "You need all the sleep you can get. How are you going to deal with feedings?"

"La Leche all the way," Claudia said. "We can't risk anyone tracking down formula orders. I'm going to be getting up every time the baby gets up."

Laura turned on a night light.

The bedroom was huge. Jonah was already there, asleep in another cradle. There was a nightgown folded on the bed.

"I can get you some more clothes tomorrow. I wasn't sure of your size."

Claudia laughed softly.

Laura looked at her.

"_I'm_ not sure of my size anymore," Claudia explained.

Laura smiled in amusement. "Yeah. I remember that. The supplies are under the changing table, but wake me up when he needs to be changed. I can take you through the beauty of diapers. Bathroom's through that door." Laura pointed.

"Laura, I...," Claudia began gratefully.

"It's almost morning. We can talk about everything later," Laura said, touching Claudia's arm. "You need your rest."

Claudia left Laura's side and went over to the cradle. She felt her eyes filling with tears and her heart felt like it was going to burst. She turned back to Laura. "I never thought I'd have even this much time with my son."

"You're going to have a whole lifetime with him," Laura said.

Laura left the room.

Claudia kissed her fingertips and gently placed them on Jonah's lips. Then she slowly and carefully walked to the bed. She pushed the nightgown aside, and pushed down the covers. She crawled into bed.

*****************************************************

Metro Court Hotel.

Liz came out of the bathroom.

Matt was collapsed on the bed.

"Matt."

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"You look comatose."

He sat up. "What are they going to do with that ambulance? And what do we do with the Buick?"

"Well, I figure we tell Nikolas that the ambulance is back at Crimson Pointe and the Buick is at the Metro Court, and he'll take care of the rest."

"I wish I was a prince."

Liz sat down next to him on the bed. "The prince is sleeping alone tonight."

"Good point," Matt said.

"Thanks for taking me here."

"I don't want to be anywhere near my apartment building right now either. I'd probably collapse in a blubbery mess if I saw Jason or his boss."

Liz laughed.

"What?"

"You were great with the whole 'Hey, which one was Mrs. Corinthos again?' thing. With Sonny."

"Yeah. Unfortunately, I tried a Southern accent at the loading dock. That didn't go over so well."

Liz laughed again, harder this time.

She looked up at him and caught him staring. "What?," she choked out.

"Ma'am," he said, in the worst Southern accent known to man, "Ah'm gonna make you stop laughin', if ets the last thang ah do."

She laughed even harder. He kissed her. She buried her hands in his hair and pulled him down onto the bed.

*******************************************************

Beecher's Corners. Laura's House. Morning.

Laura could have sworn she'd set the alarm clock for nine o'clock, yet the clock now read 10:30 A.M. and it sounded like she was the last one up.

Something smelled great. Laura put a robe on and followed the smell to the kitchen.

"Uno scoiattolo!," Spencer called out.

"I'll see what I can do," Claudia said.

Laura came in to find Claudia sitting on a stool at the stove, pouring pancake batter onto a griddle. At the kitchen table, Spencer was devouring a pancake that looked like it might have started out in a dinosaur shape. Jonah was lying peacefully in his bedroom cradle, which had been moved into the kitchen. There was a beautiful spread of fresh, sliced fruits. Freshly squeezed orange juice. Hot coffee and hot water were on the spare burners.

"Gramma!," Spencer said. "Claudee's making animals. What do you want?"

"I don't know," Laura said. "How about an elephant?"

"That's good," Spencer said solemnly.

Claudia began to "paint" an elephant next to a pancake squirrel that was sizzling up.

"Sit. Please. Sit," Claudia said to Laura. "I turned your alarm clock off. I figured you could use a break."

"Me," Laura said, sitting down and staring at Claudia.

"You were driving all night."

"You gave birth, what, twelve hours ago?"

Claudia deposited the squirrel on Spencer's plate and kissed the top of Spencer's head.

Spencer beamed, and began pulling the squirrel apart with his hands.

Claudia poured some more batter on the griddle. "I feel okay. And cooking relaxes me. I'll take a nap when I put Jonah down."

"Where's Daddy?," Spencer asked.

Claudia deposited a pancake elephant on the plate in front of Laura.

"Your daddy's in Port Charles," Claudia said. "Do you know what he told me?"

"What?"

"He said that he misses you so much that he's started saying 'please' all the time. Just like you."

"No!"

"Yes!"

Laura found herself unexpectedly moved watching Claudia and Spencer together.

"Gramma?"

"Yes, Spencer."

"Juice please."

Laura poured Spencer some juice.

Claudia deposited two round pancakes on her own plate. She turned off the griddle burner and sat down at the table. A wave of fatigue swept over her, and she closed her eyes.

"Claudia?"

"Sorry. On the one hand, I just gave birth. And on the other hand, I'm so happy to be alive and to be here that I keep getting these bursts of energy. There's a little battle going on inside my body."

"Welcome to motherhood," Laura said.

Claudia turned to look at Jonah, who was kicking in his cradle.

Laura put her hand on Claudia's wrist. Claudia looked up at Laura.

"He's not going anywhere," Laura said.

"That's going to take some getting used to," Claudia said.

"Does Jonah want a pancake?," Spencer asked.

"He's too little for them," Laura said.

"These are just for big boys," Claudia said.

Spencer turned to Laura. "I helped move the baby bed," Spencer said proudly.

Laura got a lump in her throat. She didn't know what she was going to do when Nikolas finally got here. She was afraid she'd be so moved, she'd be crying all the time.

*****************************************************

Wyndemere. The Study. Afternoon.

Nikolas finished signing the last set of papers. He shook Mr. Johnston's hand.

"Mr. Cassadine, it's been a pleasure."

"Have you made a decision about the staff?"

"I see no reason why they can't stay on at their current salaries if they wish to."

"And the Metro Court?"

"Inconsequential to our plans. The island is a much more desirable location. And the stables, the scenery -- an ideal spot for vacationers. I'm sure we'll pose no threat to their bar, but as far as the hotel? I don't think this town can sustain two such high end hotels. I don't see how the Metro Court can survive once Wyndemere re-opens as a vacation spot. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Nikolas said.

*********************************************

GreyStone. Living Room. Afternoon.

Sonny sat on the couch. He hadn't slept all night. An early morning meeting with Diane hadn't gone well.

What Nikolas had told him was true. There could be no plea bargain because the police would have all the evidence they needed. And with the conspiracy to commit murder, there was definite jail time. Also, there was no statute of limitations on that one, which seemed unfair. It wasn't like there was an actual murder committed.

Jason slipped in the room.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey."

"You find Claudia?"

Sonny shook his head. "No. But her boyfriend stopped by."

"Nikolas? What did he say?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. What happened in Puerto Rico?"

"Rivera's taking back Puerto Rico. I couldn't fix that. But you get to keep the island. And the casino. You just have to pay a percentage to Rivera."

Sonny nodded dejectedly.

"I think it's important that we build back up here, make some definite moves before the Five Families feel like they can make inroads."

"Sure," said Sonny. He looked vacantly into the distance.

"Sonny?"

"She's been collecting stuff."

"Claudia?"

"Yeah. She and Nikolas, they must have been planning this for months. She copied Spinelli's computer. Got a recording of us planning the hit on her. Originals of the real books and doctored books. Files, computer files, recordings, accounting records. I give them what they want, they don't turn us in."

Jason ran his hand through his hair. "It's not possible, Sonny. We searched everywhere. Almost every day. She's lying."

Sonny took a breath, trying to calm himself. He exhaled. "Nikolas showed me everything. It's real."

"How?"

"The nursery, man. Everything in there had a secret compartment. I think Nikolas was the one who arranged the three international defections. Looks like he's been talking to Claudia's uncle this whole time."

"What do they want?"

"He got what he wanted. The Italian territory is his."

"Nikolas and Claudia. What do they want?"

Sonny rubbed the back of his neck. "A divorce and an annulment for Claudia. And I have to renounce custody of our son."

"What if we find Claudia? Track her down and -- "

"She's already got a Will ready to go. Custody goes to Nikolas, and the evidence gets released to the police. They thought of _everything_," he spat out. "I talked to Diane."

"What did she say?"

"She says I gotta sign. All three. He's my son."

"I'm sorry, Sonny."

Sonny turned to Jason, his eyes red-rimmed. "What am I going to tell Michael? I promised him. I promised him I'd take care of it."

"I don't know," Jason said. He hesitated, and then went on. "I don't like Michael knowing any of our business. I don't think he should be involved."

"I was trying to keep him out of it."

"You kept him in. The second you told him you'd take care of it, you were telling him that Claudia was going down. That's involving Michael."

Sonny kicked over the coffee table. "I can't lose them both. Michael and the baby," he said, anguished.

"How long do we have?"

"Twenty-four hours."

"What are you going to do?"

*******************************************************

Wyndemere. The Study. Night.

Sonny finished signing the last of the papers. Diane and Jason witnessed them.

"You made the right decision," Nikolas said, folding the papers back up and putting them into their respective envelopes.

"Let's go, Sonny," Jason said.

"I'll be with you in a second. I need to talk to Nikolas alone."

Jason raised an eyebrow.

"It's okay," Sonny said.

Diane and Jason left the room.

Sonny leaned over the desk and looked Nikolas in the eye. "This isn't over," he said.

And he left.


	42. Chapter 42

Chiarelli Compound. Just Outside of Milan.

Rudy was waiting for Johnny at the front door.

"You did good," Rudy said. "Better than me. You saved your sister."

He hugged Johnny.

"She did a pretty good job at saving herself. And me," Johnny said. He pulled out of the hug. "Here's our life insurance policy." Johnny tapped on the file box.

Rudy opened the top and poked around inside.

"You don't want to look at that unless you have to," Johnny said.

Rudy signaled to a guard, who removed the box.

"Let me show you something," Johnny said.

Johnny reached in his pocket and pulled out the digital camera. He turned it on and showed Rudy the pictures taken right after Claudia had given birth.

"He is beautiful," Rudy said. "How is Claudia?"

"Over the moon. Very happy."

"Dangerous."

"Only if she loses what she has now. Claudia fell in love twice this year. With her son and with Nikolas. That's a lot for someone who's never been in love before."

"Yes."

John put the camera away. "My father isn't going to like this."

"He's already heard. He did not react well. He is now in solitary confinement."

"What do you think he's going to do?"

"I cannot guess. Hopefully, we will have at least ten years to prepare," Rudy said. "Come. I will show you to your room."

*************************************************

GreyStone. Living Room.

Spinelli came into the room, walking haltingly.

"It's all right," Sonny said. "Come closer."

"Mr. Sir, I think it is imperative that it be understood that the Jackal was unaware of the duplicitous and duplicating nature of Mrs. Sir --"

"Don't call her that."

"Oh. But you had said --"

"Forget what I said. Forget everything. I need you to put a trace on Nikolas Cassadine's phone calls."

"And I would gladly fulfill your every command. However, Stone Cold has expressly forbidden me from delving into even the most minute of technological espionage. Since the escape of The Federal One."

"He's right," Jason said, entering the room. "We can't afford any more trouble. If you're set on finding Claudia, you'll have to find another way."

************************************************

Port Charles Police Department. Mac Scorpio's Office.

Mac hung up the phone. Diane Miller had cancelled her request for an investigation.

He wasn't sure how Nikolas had done it, but there was a sea change in Port Charles. Yesterday, activity on the docks had winnowed down to what the department knew to be legitimate operations. Last night, there had not been a single murder or assault.

And even though he knew that Alexis probably didn't have any details, he picked up the phone. There was no one he'd rather smirk with about this.

************************************************

Beecher's Corner. Laura Spencer's House.

"She's asleep," Laura said into the phone.

"She'll want to hear this," Nikolas said. "How is she?"

"Good. Tired. Happy. I think she's still in pain, but she's working through it. She made breakfast for everyone the morning after she gave birth."

"Cooking relaxes her."

"She's worried about you."

"She shouldn't be. How's Spencer getting along with the baby?"

"He's slipped into a sort of senior advisor mode. It's adorable."

"You mean he's being bossy."

"'Bossy' is a little harsh. _Helpfully_ bossy, maybe."

"I can never thank you enough for everything you've done."

"Eh. I'm a grandmother. This is my job."

"This is above and beyond."

"Well, you're welcome. If you want to speak to Claudia, you should probably do it now, before the baby wakes up."

"All right," Nikolas said.

Laura went into Claudia's bedroom and gently shook her awake.

"Hmmm?," Claudia murmured.

"Claudia," Laura whispered. "Nikolas."

Claudia shot up, awake. "Where?"

Laura handed her the phone. Claudia got out of bed, wincing, and left the bedroom.

"Nikolas?"

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Good. How are you? Are you being careful?"

"I don't have to be. The woman I'm with no longer has a husband."

"Really?"

"He signed all three sets of papers."

"When do you get here?"

"Not for awhile. I'm just making sure that everything gets processed and filed correctly. And I want to get the baby's passport in person. I've had it expedited, but it's still going to take some time."

"I don't like you being there alone."

"I'm fine."

"You always say that. And then you go to Russia alone. Or Puerto Rico. Or -- did you go to see Sonny alone?"

"The papers are signed. It's over."

"Your Majesty, my people are not like you. They're not gentlemen. If you give them a show of faith, they take it as an act of stupidity."

"That's what my dead uncle thought, too."

Claudia lowered her voice. "I want you with me."

"I'll see if I can throw some more money at a bureaucrat."

"Don't tease me, Stavrosovich."

The baby began to cry from the bedroom.

"I'm so sorry, Nik. The baby just woke up. And he's got the Zacchara lungs."

"Go ahead. I love you."

"I love you too. Please be careful. Here's your mother."

Claudia traded the phone for her baby and went back in her bedroom.

"Nikolas?"

"Can you do me one more favor?," Nikolas asked.

"What does it involve?," Laura said.

"If there's a bookstore in town, can you buy the most difficult book of crossword puzzles they have? Claudia is not distracted enough."

Laura laughed.

*******************************************************

Jax and Carly's House.

Sonny paused in front of the front door. This was going to be a bad visit.

He saw the shadow of someone moving inside. He knocked.

The door opened.

"Sonny," Jax said. "Right on schedule. We've just had a moment's peace."

Sonny entered the house.

Carly was on the couch with her brand new daughter.

"Hi," she said.

Sonny sat down beside her. He reached out and touched the baby's crown, and then quickly pulled his hand away.

Carly looked at Jax meaningfully. Jax left the room.

"She's beautiful," Sonny said. "Congratulations." He kissed Carly on the forehead.

"Thank you. She's a Jax. Look at that hair," she laughed. "How's your little one coming along? You have one more month, right?

Sonny turned away from Carly. He scratched his cheek. "Claudia gave birth. But I don't know where she or the baby are."

"What do you mean?"

"I have to tell you something."

Michael bounded down the stairs. "Dad?," he said.

The only way this could get any worse was if Nikolas Cassadine was here to see it.

"Claudia left me. She disappeared right before she gave birth. They're both missing. And..."

"And what?," Carly asked.

"Michael, go to your room."

"You let her get away?," Michael said in disbelief.

"Michael!," Carly said. "Don't talk to your father like that."

Jax came back into the room when he heard voices raised in anger.

"Me?," Michael said. He turned to his father in anger. "So that's it? So she just gets to put a bullet in my head, to try to kill you, and she gets away with it? You promised me."

Carly was staring at Sonny.

"Michael, can you let me talk to your mother?," Sonny said.

"I had her," Michael said. "I could've taken care of her. But you let her get away. You let her get away with it."

"What do you mean, 'had her'?," Jax said.

"Claudia?," Carly asked. "_Claudia_ was behind Michael's shooting?"

Jax quickly went to Carly's side, and spoke soothingly. "We don't have to do this right now," he said.

She handed the baby to Jax. "Take Courtney upstairs," she said.

"I think Sonny should leave."

"And I think Sonny should explain to me how he could keep something like this from me!," she said, devolving into hysteria. "You married her. You _married_ her?"

"I didn't know," Sonny said.

"And so, what? Once you found out you were waiting to share?"

Jax fidgeted guiltily.

"I was waiting until your baby was born. You weren't supposed to get upset. Because of the baby."

"And now Claudia's gone," Michael said.

"I know that!," Sonny shouted, standing up.

The baby started crying. Jax rocked her in his arms, shooting a death glare at Sonny. Carly stood up, went over to the baby, and placed a cool hand against her cheek.

Sonny continued, more quietly, "She took everything. She took the baby --" Here he looked at Michael. " -- she took away my chance to make this right. And she and Nikolas Cassadine --"

"Nikolas? What does Nikolas have to do with any of this?," Carly asked.

"They took everything from me. My son. Michael's inheritance -- the whole business. Gone."

Carly moved away from the baby, shaking a little. Claudia had gotten Michael shot, and Sonny was talking about the business. She didn't even know who he was anymore.

Michael grabbed Sonny by the shoulder and turned him around.

"I had her," Michael said. "I was all ready to take care of her, and you stopped me. Well, you're not going to stop me now."

Michael hurried out of the house.

Sonny went to follow.

"No!," Carly said. "Not you, Sonny. Jax."

Jax gave the baby back to Carly and took off after Michael.

Carly and Sonny stood face to face.

"I will fix this," Sonny said. "I promise you."

"Go to hell," Carly said.

********************************************************

General Hospital. Matt's Office.

Matt finished making notes on the last of the pharmaceutical trial files. He'd had an email that morning instructing him to forward all notes to the new hospital director, Dr. Monica Quartermaine.

There was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he said.

A dark-haired woman in a finely tailored suit came in carrying a briefcase.

"Dr. Matt Hunter?"

Matt took a second to fervently pray he was not being served with something. "Yes," he said.

She extended her hand. "Justina Cohen. I'm here on behalf of Bartleby, Fitch and Cohen."

Who had just won the class action suit against Manhattan General. It wasn't like Matt lived under a rock. Great. He was being served.

"Just give me the papers," he said.

"Papers?"

"Consider me served."

"Are you in more trouble?"

"I don't know. Am I?"

"Dr. Hunter, I was hired by Nikolas Cassadine to represent you in the Brianna Hughes matter. He assured me that you would be fine with this."

"Oh." For the first time in his life, Matt was speechless.

"I've won against Diane Miller twice in New York City, if that helps."

Matt struggled to regain the power of speech. "It does, it definitely does. Please... have a seat." A lawyer. A real lawyer who could win.

Ms. Cohen, Esq., sat down across the desk from Matt. "I've been reading up on Port Charles. This is quite a town."

Someone not connected to anyone in his family. Matt's life was filling up. With good things that were all his own. A lawyer. Elizabeth. The emergency room position.

"A sort of way station for tycoons, celebrities and major organized crime figures," she continued, snapping her briefcase open.

Matt started to grin.

"And is it just me?," she asked, taking out a notepad. "Or am I the only Jewish person within the city limits?"

********************************************************

Sonny's Strip Club.

Jax had found Michael at the Zacchara Crimson Pointe Estate. Jax had arrived just before the police. When Michael had realized Claudia and Johnny were nowhere to be found, he'd begun breaking all of the windows in the house. Jax was somehow able to reason with the police, and agreed to pay full restitution and avoid any charges against Michael. Michael refused to talk to Sonny.

Dante and Olivia weren't speaking to him. Sonny got why Olivia wasn't speaking to him; she didn't know how the business worked. And he guessed that Dante couldn't afford to have Sonny as a father; an FBI agent would be compromised by a relationship with a father in organized crime.

Alexis wouldn't let him see Kristina alone. Said she couldn't risk her daughter being used as leverage. Kristina snuck onto the stairs behind Alexis' back, staring at her mother as if she didn't have anything to do with Alexis' decision and violently disagreed with it. When Sonny began to argue, Mac Scorpio had come out of the kitchen, stood by Alexis and crossed his arms.

He knew better than to try to even discuss Morgan with Carly at this moment.

And all he had of his baby were the ultrasounds. He didn't know what his son looked or sounded like. He didn't know how many pounds he weighed, the color of his eyes or hair.

Nikolas was a fool. Ten minutes with Claudia and she'd dismantle his entire fortune and leave him bleeding. She'd betrayed everyone who'd ever given her a chance. Nikolas wasn't going to be any different.

Claudia. She'd broken every code they were sworn to live by, and no one seemed to care.

Instead, Sonny was the one who was paying. No one would do international business with him. They knew what was hanging over his head, and they didn't want to be dragged down by it. Sonny was damaged goods. All he had left was the domestic business in Port Charles and the island. For whatever the island was worth now that Rivera got a cut.

Jason was determined to get the business back on its feet.

Staring around the place where it had all started, Sonny was determined to fix everything. There had to be a way out of this.

Starting with that damn custody renouncement.

********************************************************

Beecher's Corners. Laura Spencer's House. Afternoon.

Laura had gone into town. Said she needed to run errands.

Spencer was napping. Due to wake up soon.

Claudia fed Jonah, marveling at the perfect way his fingers curled and uncurled while he ate. She hadn't wanted to nurse -- she could write a book about all the things she didn't like about it -- but when she was actually doing it, that was when she felt most like Jonah's mother.

She wished she could talk to her own mother about it. She hadn't really been around many women in her life. Her mother for her early years. Then Maria -- who was nice, and encouraged Claudia to be close to John, but who ultimately was very busy with John while she was alive, and didn't have much time to talk to a growing girl about being a woman.

Claudia had had to go on instinct, sexual impulses, and innuendo. And once she got to Italy, she'd been trained to use her femaleness as a tool.

The past year had been eye-opening. Between her son, her brother, and Batman and his young ward, she was discovering a part of herself that she hadn't thought existed.

John had always been a factor that way, but she'd been ripped away from him so early.

One thing Claudia was sure of: if she hadn't fallen in love with Jonah, she would have never been able to fall in love with Nikolas and Spencer.

Jonah had given her everything. He'd saved her life. Brought her to Nikolas and Spencer. Made her human.

Jonah stopped feeding. His eyes fluttered shut. "Jonah," she whispered. His eyes opened. "I love you. I'll always love you." She kissed his brow. His eyes fluttered shut again.

Claudia brought him back to his cradle and carefully put him down. Covered him with a baby blanket.

She checked the clock. Spencer should be getting up. She'd planned to do this later on, maybe even once they'd settled. But she wanted to do it when she and Spencer would be alone together. And the sooner, the better.

She went into Spencer's room. Spencer slept with his little version of the Cassadine mouth open.

"Amico," she said coaxingly. "Wake up."

Spencer whined a little.

"Spencer," she said. "I have something for you."

He opened his eyes.

"Hello," he said.

"Hello, pirata. We're alone. The baby is asleep. Won't you come play?"

Spencer obediently sat up, breathing heavily.

Claudia kissed the top of his head. She lifted him up and brought him into the living room.

"Are you awake yet?," she asked him as she put him down on the couch.

He shook his head.

She sat down next to him and lifted him onto her lap. She brushed his hair back from his face.

"I pirati ballano...," she sang.

 "...sul ponte delle navi," Spencer softly sang back, yawning.

Claudia reached down on the floor and drew the second wrapped gift from her labor bag.

 "...e le casse scassano...," she sang, while handing the gift to Spencer.

 "...se mancano le chiavi," Spencer sang, perking up.

Claudia ripped open the wrapping paper. And brought out a child's pirate hat.

She placed it on Spencer's head. He climbed down from her lap.

"Claudee, sono un pirata ora." _I am a pirate now._ "Gira, Gira," he sang, turning around twice. He stopped, staring at Claudia. "Where is your hat?"

"I lost it," she said. "Spencer, I think you grew while I was away."

Spencer put his arms above his head, stretching himself to his full height.

Claudia picked him up again and put him on her lap.

"I'm going to tell you a secret, my Little Prince. Okay?"

"Okay."

"First of all, I will do my best to never, ever leave you again. That was very wrong of me."

Spencer didn't look at her. She put her hand under his chin and gently turned his face toward hers.

"Spencer? You will always be my first little boy. Always. I will love Jonah just as much as you, but never more. Capito?" _Understand?_

Spencer hugged Claudia.

When he finally pulled away, he pulled off his hat. "Μπορείτε να φοράτε το καπέλο μου," he said to Claudia. _You can wear my hat. _He offered it to her.

He took her breath away. She smiled, but did not take it. "Thank you, amico, but I think you should wear it. The other pirates will know I am one because I will be walking with you."

Spencer tilted his head, considering. "Okay," he said. "That's good."

***********************************************************

Nikolas left Wyndham's disappointed.

He was going to have to place a special order. Maybe stop over in New York before he left town. Claudia wouldn't be happy about that.

All day, he found himself wandering around Port Charles. Cafe Matisse. Quartermaine Mansion. The docks. The old location of the Emily Bowen Quartermaine Clinic.

He'd started his good-byes. He'd gifted Monica with the hospital. At first, he'd been concerned that she would refuse it, but she seemed very pleased.

Robin was full of questions about Dr. Waters. Nikolas had evaded them by introducing the new OBGyn. In the end, Robin seemed puzzled, but happy for him. He didn't bring up Claudia. Robin was too close to Sonny.

Sam had begun a little helpful speech that seemed to be going in the direction of telling Nikolas about Claudia's involvement in Michael's shooting. Nikolas stopped her, told her that he knew all he needed to know about Claudia. And then asked her to keep an eye on Alexis for him.

Lucky and Lulu had had lunch with him. There were no words for how displeased Lucky was. "Furious" was more like it. Maybe this would bring Lucky and Ethan closer, Nikolas mused.

His cell phone rang. Nikolas connected to the call. "Cassadine. ... Yes, thank you for getting back to me. ... Do you have anything in red?"

He continued down to the dock.

Sonny watched him from a distance.


	43. Chapter 43

Chiarelli Compound. Outside of Milan.

Unless you had known John Zacchara, he was almost unrecognizable now. His hair had grown out a little, and was no longer swept back. It was also generously streaked with gray. He had a full beard, neatly trimmed.

He was safe. Unless the person looking for him had known John Zacchara.

Rudy handed Johnny three passports. "These should give you some time. I would start in some place where your name is not known. If it were me."

Johnny tucked two of the passports into his backpack. He put the other in his inside jacket pocket.

"You cannot get in touch with Claudia. You understand? She will be watched."

"I know."

"Should you get in trouble, and have no way out, you will contact me as we have discussed, but if I am unavailable, you do not leave a message, you do not speak."

"I understand."

Uncle Rudy enveloped Johnny in a hug. After a long moment, he stepped back. "You are an outlaw among outlaws now. If you build a good life, no matter how much you may want to share your news, we cannot know of it. You're a good boy. I hope the best for you. But you must remain careful, no matter how safe you think you are."

"Thank you for everything," Johnny said. "Claudia's everything to me. Everything. If you hadn't --"

Rudy coughed and turned away. When he turned back to Johnny, his eyes were glistening. "I could not have wished for a better brother for Domenica's daughter. You are a remarkable young man. I wish you were my own." Rudy's eyes darkened. "Should anything happen to you, it will be as if you were my own. There will be justice."

Johnny felt a chill run down his spine. One day, Rudy and Anthony would face each other. And one would not make it out alive.

Rudy clapped his hand on John's shoulder. Then he went into his study.

And Johnny Zacchara disappeared into the night.

*****************************************************

Wyndemere. The Study.

Everything had taken longer than a week. Longer than expected.

Claudia was running out of crossword puzzles to fill out and meals to prepare. She said that the bookstore in Beecher's Corners wasn't well stocked with crossword puzzles and eventually the freezer was going to be full. And she said that she missed him. She had been waiting for months to be with him. She didn't want to waste any more time.

Nikolas knew the feeling.

He'd taken a trip to the stables that morning, and looked at the empty stalls. They'd been empty for a few months now, but it still cut him. Selling Sheba had been painful, but there was no choice. There had been too much to worry about without adding international horse transport to the list. And transporting Sheba would, in itself, have been a big tip-off to Sonny or Spinelli or whomever was keeping track of his movements. He'd decided only to move that which would take very little time. Inanimate objects seemed to fit the bill best.

He watched the movers pack up the last of the paintings. There was a knock on the study door.

"Come in," Nikolas said.

Alexis came in.

"You do realize that normal people can't even pack up a one bedroom apartment in the time it took you to do this move," she said.

Nikolas came out from behind the desk and hugged Alexis. She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to stave off the tears.

"Well," she said. "Unfortunately, I have good news for you."

Nikolas smiled and pulled back. "All done?," he asked.

She opened her briefcase on top of the desk and took out two envelopes.

"Custody and annulment granted." She mock bowed as she handed them to him.

"Very good." His words were measured, but Nikolas looked like he was going to start levitating at any moment.

"You have the divorce papers?"

"Yes. But we can't take care of that until Claudia can fly."

"Is that like pigs flying? Sorry. Reflex."

Nikolas sensed Alexis was about to babble. "Alexis."

"Please don't make me do a full scale, bended knee apology. For one thing, my knees are getting creaky."

Time to be blunt. "Alexis, where are the baby's things?"

"Oh my God. Sorry. Sorry." She took out a large manila envelope. "Birth certificate and passport. But he won't be allowed to fly unless the custody papers are with him everywhere -- and I mean _everywhere_ -- he goes."

Nikolas took the envelope. "Thank you."

"Sonny has been a little out of control," Alexis said.

"It's of no consequence," Nikolas said. "Unless he's been disruptive to you?"

"No," Alexis said. "No. Mac has been there both times, he tried to... By the way, speaking of out of control, what have you done with Cassadine Industries?"

"What do you mean?," Nikolas said, trying to stifle his smirk.

Alexis pointed at him. "You. You are being evil. Tell me you did not know that something is starting between me and Mac Scorpio."

"I did not know," Nikolas said, sincerely.

Alexis narrowed her eyes at him. "And then you had to go and stir things up."

"I'm merely covering my own bases. I'll still be in control of Cassadine Industries. I just need someone to take charge of the business that operates out of Port Charles."

"Why Ned?," Alexis said, exasperated.

"He's astute and well-versed in Port Charles, and I think he'd do well to operate something outside of his own family business."

"And you wanted to interfere in my love life."

"Up until this conversation, I was unaware you had anything going on in your love life to interfere with."

Alexis groaned. Then her mask dropped. "I guess this is it."

Nikolas dropped his bantering tone. "It is."

"What am I going to do without you?," she asked.

Nikolas raised an eyebrow. "I've always needed you more than you've needed me."

"Let's call it a draw."

"Will you come visit?," he asked, for a moment looking like the child she'd known all those years ago.

Alexis' breath caught. "Of course I'll come visit," she said. "And I'll owe you a housewarming gift. Perhaps a nice dartboard of Helena to complete your gameroom?"

Nikolas smiled. He hugged Alexis again. "You call me," he said. "If you ever need anything."

"And you take care of yourself. Not every god knows that you're royalty. You're human. Promise me you'll start being a little careful."

NIkolas pulled back and looked Alexis in the eye. "Maybe just a little," he allowed.

******************************************

Beecher's Corner. Laura Spencer's House.

Claudia was out exercising. She'd started taking long walks on her third day here, and graduated to running this week. She seemed put out that Beecher's Corners didn't have a gym, but quickly got over it and started doing calisthenics every afternoon. And yoga in the evening. Laura gave a silent prayer of thanks every morning that her generation was more relaxed about those things.

Laura finished washing the last of the breakfast dishes and placed it in the drying rack. Claudia had looked like it physically pained her to consent to Laura doing the dishes. Laura suspected it wasn't because of an overblown sense of gratitude on the younger woman's part; Claudia seemed to consider the kitchen her own territory.

Laura looked out the kitchen window. The garden was in full bloom.

It was why she rented this house.

Sure, privacy was a factor. And the proximity to the farmer's market was a plus.

The house did have faulty plumbing. So far Claudia hadn't experienced the kitchen sink's cold water handle falling off in her hand, but it only was a matter of time.

The hot water had gone out only once since the Zaccharas had arrived, but before they came, there were three mornings where Laura had had to make a game out of taking a cold bath for Spencer. Spencer wasn't fooled for one second, and his "entitled prince" persona had come out in full force.

In the end, the plumbing didn't matter. Laura loved this place. The house and Beecher's Corners -- all of it. This was the place that had always sheltered and welcomed her.

When she walked down the street, everyone knew her name, but no one cared about her history. Some of them remembered her wedding all those years ago, but to most of the people here she was just Laura. No legend, no twisted past to live up or down to. They just knew that she was happy here, and they took her in as one of their own.

It was like the town she lived in in France, but in her native tongue. Laura didn't know why she had planted some vegetables a few weeks ago. Maybe the next tenants would appreciate them.

******************************************

Beecher's Corner. Country Road.

Claudia hadn't packed her iPod. Which was probably for the best, since she needed to keep her eyes and ears open while she was still in the States.

This place was odd. Not in offensive way, but... everyone called out to you when you passed them. If they didn't know her name, they were saying "Hello." Claudia was starving for some nastiness. Or the opportunity to be nasty. Where were this town's criminals? The long-lost siblings? The car accidents?

She slowed down to a walking pace as she got a stitch in her side. Her body was slowly shrinking back to its normal shape. Except for her abs. She hoped she hadn't lost them for good, since eventually she was going to see Nikolas again. In theory. He hadn't called today, and Claudia kept silencing the voice in her head that said he was coming to surprise her tonight. She needed them all under the same roof. She was craving it.

Other than her greediness toward all things Nikolas, two things were bothering her.

One was John. He was supposed to leave this week. He'd been optimistic about seeing her again, but when he'd left her at the hospital, she knew. That was probably it. She'd almost picked up the phone to call him a dozen times in the past week. But she'd vanished without a trace, and one phone call between the two of them could blow everything for both of them. She quickly brushed away a tear. This was her own fault. Johnny had been trying to get out for years, and she kept dragging him back in. She should have left town instead of marrying Sonny. Now she was going to pay the price. She was sure that the United States prison system could not invent a greater torture for her than losing her brother.

But she'd hadn't really given the justice system a chance to try, had she?

And Laura was so nice. Laura treated her like Nikolas treated her: like she was a lady. Like she was a normal human being. That was the other thing that was bothering her.

******************************************

General Hospital. Maternity Ward.

Nikolas dropped off Dr. Waters' keys. The new hire was starting on Monday. Dr. Waters was safe and sound back in New York, with a copy of the recording of Jason and Sonny plotting to kill Claudia. Just in case he had any surprise visitors.

"I heard you were here," came a voice from behind him. Liz.

Nikolas turned around, smiling.

"Were you going to leave without saying good-bye?," she asked.

"No," he said. "I looked up your schedule. I knew you were on."

He drew her into a hug.

"You happy?," she said.

"Very," he answered. He pulled back. "How's Matt?"

"Oh," she laughed, poking him. "I think you know how Matt is. Thank you."

"I can never repay you both," Nikolas said.

"Well, you made a good start," Liz said.

"Lucky's upset with me."

"He'll get over it."

Nikolas was quiet for a moment. "It's hard for me to leave," he said. "It's like leaving Emily all over again."

Liz nodded. "I know," she said. "But I don't think you are. I think you'll carry her with you, no matter where you go."

"Great," came a voice from down the hall. "Little Lizzy Webber is here too. I get a two for one." Carly.

Nikolas squeezed Liz's shoulder and murmured to her, "I think you should go."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'll keep in touch. I promise."

"Take care of yourself."

Nikolas kissed Liz's cheek. Liz went quickly down the hall.

Nikolas turned to face Carly.

"You just gonna let her get away with it? Shooting Michael?"

Nikolas didn't answer.

"My son is devastated."

"Your son attempted to murder Claudia recently."

"Can you blame him?"

"Trying to shoot a defenseless pregnant woman? Yes."

Carly laughed bitterly. "Yeah, I guess you would see it that way. After all, it wasn't your child who was in a coma for a year."

"No," said Nikolas. "Mine was stolen at birth. By you."

"Is that what this is about? Spencer?"

"Go home. Take care of your baby daughter. And leave my family alone. For good."

"So Claudia's your family now?"

"Yes."

"Good luck with that. Maybe she'll destroy you too."

With that, Carly turned on her heel and left.

Nikolas was glad he wasn't sticking around.

*******************************************

Beecher's Corners. Laura Spencer's House.

"Your son is a mirage."

Laura looked up from the book she was reading. Claudia was no longer working on her crossword puzzle.

"I'm sorry?," Laura said.

"He doesn't exist, right? He's like a collective hallucination. Because I remember him saying it would only take a week to get here. And now it's almost been two."

"You're bored," Laura said.

"No," Claudia said. "But I have a problem. I can be patient. When I want to be. I can wait forever. But if I reach the end of the waiting period, and then I have to wait some more? I'm impossible."

"You haven't been that bad."

Claudia looked over at Laura. "Say that again with a straight face."

"Well, maybe you've been a little more domineering in the kitchen," Laura said.

Claudia laughed. She put her crossword puzzle and her pen aside. She went to sit by Laura. "I have to tell you something," she said.

Laura slowly put her book down. Claudia looked anxious. "Okay," Laura said.

"You've been great to me. People are usually not so nice. And there's a reason."

"Claudia, you don't have to --"

"I just don't think it's fair to let you keep on thinking of me as whatever person you think I am. Because there's something wrong with me. There's a reason Sonny wanted me dead, and if you're going to be helping like this, I think --"

"I know about Michael," Laura said, cutting Claudia off.

"Oh." Claudia got up and walked around the room, distracted. Nikolas had told Laura. That made sense, in a way. He probably wouldn't have let his mother uproot her whole life without giving her the full story. Claudia was certain Liz didn't know. If she had, it would have come up in their little heated argument in the ambulance.

"Claudia?"

Claudia turned and faced Laura. "I don't understand you," she said. "I like you, but I don't understand you. I can figure out most people, even though they don't think the way I think. But you... Don't you see what I am?

"Claudia, it took a lot of courage for you to tell me what you've done. But now you're the one who doesn't have the whole picture. Come here. I have something to tell you."

Claudia went and sat by Laura again.

"When I was sixteen years old," Laura said. "I killed my lover."

Claudia's jaw dropped open.

"But that's not the worst of it. He was a much older man. He was in love with my mother. It was an accident. I didn't mean for it to happen. I was very hurt and angry and there was a struggle, and... Well. I did kill him. There's no excuse. But the worst of it was that when I couldn't remember what had happened, my mother stepped in and claimed responsibility. She went to prison. And when I finally remembered, it took me awhile to be brave enough to tell the truth. I let her sit in that prison cell for another week before I came forward."

Laura saw Claudia struggle to reconcile the woman in front of her with the girl who had done those things. After a long moment, she sighed and smiled weakly at Laura. "I wish I'd killed my lover at sixteen," she said. "That would have been a much better choice than the one I made."

"You don't mean that," Laura said.

"I don't know. Maybe I do. I've been fighting for my life since I was born. It damaged me. Maybe it's not possible for me to stay the woman your son fell in love with."

"Of course it's not," Laura said, surprising Claudia. "But you won't go back to who you were, either. You're both going to change and grow. I wouldn't be so worried about how it's all going to end up. You seem to be leaning toward the light."

"Maybe," Claudia said slowly, considering the possibility. "I hope so."

"I know so," Laura said.

"It's just hard to look at the wreckage I've left behind me now, you know?"

"I'd be more worried if you didn't look at it at all," Laura said.

*******************************************

West 47th Street. New York City. Afternoon.

Nikolas left the store, the box tucked away in his pocket, and headed for the parking lot.

He didn't care about the crowds, the smells, the noise or the humidity.

This was one of the top ten days of his life.

He was taking the Jag, too. Probably a little foolish. But it was his last real drive, the last time he'd be driving this car, and he was feeling a little sentimental and overly optimistic. It didn't matter if anyone spotted the car now. Everything had been taken care of.

He paid the parking lot attendant, got in the car, and buckled up. He turned the key in the ignition.

He was finally going to be with his family. He couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces when he surprised them.

*******************************************

Beecher's Corners. Laura Spencer's House. 3 A.M.

The Jaguar's wheels crunched against the gravel as the car came to a stop.

Nikolas didn't bother to unload the car. He hurried to the front door.

The front door was unlocked. Nikolas went inside.

He was overcome by a sudden burst of energy. They had done it. Now he just had to find his way around the house. Starting with the first floor.

All right. Obviously, this was the living room. With all of the toys scattered around, it was clear that Laura and Claudia were letting Spencer run the house.

He went left. Kitchen. Claudia's domain. It looked like a low-end version of the Wyndemere guest house. He was certain that if he opened the refrigerator, he'd find meals for the next five months.

He heard a noise from somewhere inside the house.

"Claudia?," he called out quietly.

No answer.

He went out of the kitchen and picked his way through the living room. Pirate hat on the couch. Claudia was spoiling Spencer.

There was a door to a room at the back of the house. Nikolas opened it quietly.

Claudia. Moonlight was streaming through the window, and it hit her hair.

The baby coughed.

Nikolas looked over at the cradle. He was tempted to go over and introduce himself, but thought Claudia might kill him if he didn't wait for her.

She was sleeping on his side of the bed.

He knelt by the bed.

"Claudia," he said quietly.

She was heartbreakingly beautiful when she slept. He kissed her. After a moment, she responded.

"Claudia," he said again. Still half asleep, she smiled against his lips and pulled him closer to her.

"Nikolas," she murmured, kissing him again. "You're here. You're here."

She pulled back and opened her eyes.

And suddenly all he saw was terror in them. Claudia shot up to a sitting position.

And he felt a hard piece of metal touch the back of his head. And a click.

"Get away from him," Claudia said to the person behind Nikolas.

"I've heard a lot about what happens if you die, Claudia," Sonny said. "What happens if Nikolas dies? There's no one for our son to go to but me."

"Don't you hurt him," she threatened, her voice shaking. The gun was right at the back of Nikolas' head. It was an automatic. The safety was off. She was helpless.

"You gave me a choice, Claudia. I'm giving you a choice."

"Anything. Please don't hurt him. I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt Nikolas."

"Give me my son," he said. "And Nikolas lives."


	44. Chapter 44a

Beecher's Corner's. Laura's House.

Claudia stayed frozen on the bed. And then she turned to get up and began to shake. Nikolas grabbed her wrist.

"Don't do it, Claudia," Nikolas said.

Claudia was lost in a tumult of emotions. She knew she should go to the cradle, get Jonah, and give him to Sonny.

"Let her go, Nikolas," Sonny said.

Someway, somehow, she and Nikolas would find a way to get Jonah back. If Sonny let them live.

Claudia choked back a sob. She pulled away from Nikolas. She got up and went over to the cradle.

Sonny leaned forward and whispered in Nikolas' ear. "I know things about you, too. This is how it happened, isn't it? Your mother had to choose. And she let you go. How does it feel knowing that you're going to make Claudia do the same thing?"

"Don't do it, Claudia," Nikolas said again, pleading with her.

She wouldn't look at him.

Jonah was sleeping so peacefully. So precious. She couldn't see her mother's eyes while he slept, but there was her brother's mouth. She bent over the cradle and brushed the tips of his fingers with her own. How was she going to do this?

She swore something inside her was breaking. She tried to breathe. Was this how it was for her mother?

Suddenly, there was the sharp and unmistakable sound of a shotgun being cocked.

"Step away from my son, Sonny."

Sonny froze. Laura.

"Laura, you don't know what's going on here --"

"I know you have a gun trained at the back of my son's head. That's all I need to go on. Step away from Nikolas."

"Listen, Laura, I'm not going to do anything. Just let me have my son, and you can all stay here."

"I've got both bullets in here, Sonny. At this range, I'm not likely to miss."

Claudia instinctively stepped toward Nikolas.

"Where are you going, Claudia?," Sonny said, raising his gun firmly to Nikolas' temple. "Bring me my son."

Claudia froze.

"It's okay, Claudia," Laura said. "Sonny will put the safety back on his gun. And he will give the gun to you. Because Sonny knows I'm capable of murder."

Laura jabbed the shotgun harder against Sonny. Sonny put the safety on the gun.

Claudia went to her night table. She picked up the pen she'd been using for a crossword puzzle. She slid it into the barrel. Sonny let go of the gun.

Claudia lifted it with her pen and put it on the night table.

She doubled over, gasping for air. Nikolas rushed to her side.

"I'm sorry," she said, brokenly. "I'm sorry."

Nikolas pulled away from her, and turned. He rushed at Sonny, grabbing him by the throat.

"Nikolas!," Laura said. "Stop it."

It took every bit of strength he had, but Nikolas let go and backed away from Sonny, glaring at him.

Laura looked from Nikolas to Claudia, trying to make a decision. Nikolas was too genteel to have ever handled a shotgun. But Claudia seemed too off-balance. Maybe she'd rally, Laura thought.

"Claudia," Laura said. "I need your help. Can you help me?"

At first, Laura didn't think Claudia had heard her. But then Claudia stood up straight. She took a deep breath. She looked at Laura.

"Come here," Laura said. Claudia went to Laura's side. Laura handed Claudia the shotgun. Claudia pointed it at Sonny. And a struggle began inside of her.

Looking at Claudia, Nikolas knew something was off.

Laura picked up the phone and dialed. "Hello, Bob? ... I'm sorry, Sam. This is Laura Spencer. I've caught an intruder in my house. Armed."

Claudia took a firmer stance. She took a step back and aimed the gun precisely.

"Claudia," Nikolas said. "Не делай этого." _Don't do it._

"Он собирается принять моего сына." _He's going to take my son. _She sounded so cold.

"Это все прямо сейчас. Все кончено." _It's all right now. It's over._

"Это никогда более." _It's never over. _

Laura said, "Thank you" into the phone and hung up. Claudia didn't look right. "Claudia, I can take the gun back now."

"Пожалуйста, Claudia" Nikolas said. _Please, Claudia._

"Он найдет нас. Когда-нибудь он найдет нас." _He'll find us. Someday he'll find us._

"И он не сможет ничего сделать. Дайте ей, что пистолет. " _And he won't be able to do anything. Give her the gun._

That was a word Sonny understood from his Russian cheatsheets. "What are you saying about the gun, Nikolas?," Sonny said.

Nikolas switched to Greek. "Παρακαλώ. Μην εγκαταλείπεις μας." _ Please. Don't give up on us._

Claudia looked at Nikolas. When she spoke again, she looked like a lost child. "υτός είναι ο κόσμος μου. Αυτό είναι ό, τι συμβαίνει." _This is my world. This is what happens._

NIkolas looked deep into her eyes. "Οχι πια." _ Not anymore_.

He held his breath. This moment was so fragile. And then she took a deep breath. She lowered the gun. Laura quickly stepped in and took it from her.

**************************************************

Jake's.

Last call was two hours ago, but somehow Coleman kept pouring, and Diane kept drinking.

Coleman and Luke Spencer were horrible, horrible men. Instigators.

Diane couldn't figure out what Luke was doing here. He certainly wasn't drinking, or smoking one of his smelly cigars. He said he was there to enjoy the scenery, but then something broke through Diane's inebriation. "You're here to make Tracy Quartermaine jealous," she said, fixing him with as knowing a look as she could muster in her current state.

"Tracy Quartermaine Spencer," he corrected.

"So I'm right."

"You lawyers like to win too much."

Tracy had actually thrown him out. Said he was still hung up on Laura. He had nowhere else to go. Laura's kids were still sore about Ethan. And Ethan was nowhere to be found.

Diane's cell phone rang. "Diane Miller," she said, picking it up. "... Do you know what time it is? I am definitely charging double right now. ... I am most certainly not drunk." Diane seemed to instantly sober up. "When?," she asked. "Where are you? ... I'll be there as soon as I can. ... Where and what is Beecher's Corners?"

**************************************************

As soon as the local police had taken Sonny away, Laura had turned to Claudia.

"I shouldn't have asked you to take the gun," Laura said. "If someone had handed me a gun when Helena was keeping me from Nikolas, I wouldn't have been able to resist. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You were thinking," Claudia said, slowly coming back to herself, "that Princely over here can't handle a shotgun." Claudia squeezed Nikolas' hand.

Nikolas let go of Claudia's hand and turned away from her. "I shouldn't have come in the Jaguar. I thought it was over. I didn't think anyone would -- You told me to be careful, and I made it easy for him to follow me."

Was he seriously blaming himself for this? Claudia came up behind Nikolas and rubbed his back. She looked from Nikolas to Laura. "Can we not make this a competition? About how exactly we got into this situation? Because I would definitely lose."

Nikolas turned around to face her.

The baby began to cry.

Claudia hurried into the bedroom. Nikolas stared after her.

"Are you okay?," Laura asked.

"I wouldn't be if you hadn't saved us. Did Spencer hear anything?"

"I don't think so. He's right down the hall, if you want to check."

***************************************************

Claudia's Bedroom.

Claudia lifted Jonah from the crib. As soon as he started to nurse, Jonah quieted down.

_Please, please don't let anything about tonight ever damage him,_ she thought. _And please don't let it damage me as a mother._

**************************************************

Living Room.

Nikolas and Laura came out of Spencer's bedroom.

"He really can sleep through anything," Nikolas said.

"Apparently both the boys have that in common," Laura said.

"I should..." Nikolas gestured to the bedroom door.

"You should," Laura agreed. "We can catch up in the morning."

Nikolas bent down to kiss Laura's cheek. She pulled him into a hug. After a moment, they pulled back.

Nikolas went into the room.

*************************************************

Claudia's Bedroom.

Claudia was sitting on the bed, nursing Jonah. She smiled weakly at Nikolas when he came into the room. He quietly closed the door and sat down beside her. She leaned into him and he put his arm around her. He felt like he was home. A home that had just been through the last battle of a long war, but his home nonetheless.

She turned to face him, and said quietly. "Now I know how my mother lost her mind. I don't know how your mother managed. After. I thought I was going to break apart."

"If it ever happens again --"

"If it ever happens again, you will not encourage me to let you die. That's it. The end."

_We'll argue about this later,_ Nikolas thought.

He leaned in toward the baby and got his first real look at him. So tiny. Smaller than Spencer when he'd finally taken him home. Nikolas brushed his hand over the back of Jonah's head.

"Nikolas, this is Jonah," Claudia said. "Look, Jonah, it's Daddy. Look!"

The second she called him "Daddy," Nikolas felt his heart unexpectedly swell.

The baby pulled away and cooed in response. Nikolas' eyes filled with tears.

"Oh my God. Was that not just the most amazing thing you've ever seen?," Claudia said.

"He has your mouth," he said, his voice wobbling a little.

"That's John's mouth," she corrected.

Nikolas laughed.

"Claudia," Nikolas said.

"What?"

"You and Johnny have the same mouth."

"Oh."

Jonah's eyes fluttered closed.

"Come on," she said to Nikolas, as she got up and put Jonah back in his cradle.

Nikolas followed her, and covered Jonah with a blanket.

"He's beautiful," Nikolas said, turning to her. He put his palm against her cheek and she turned into it, kissing it.

Claudia looked up at Nikolas and put her arms around his neck. His arms circled around her waist and they kissed. The kiss built in intensity. He pulled her closer to him and then suddenly broke away from her.

"Sorry," he said.

"Sorry?"

"How much longer until you --"

"Oh. Two weeks. At least. And don't laugh, but I already made the doctor's appointment."

He laughed anyway. "Good."

The bedroom door opened.

Spencer peered in. "Daddy!," he said, rushing toward Nikolas. Nikolas gathered Spencer in his arms and lifted him up.

"You stay?," Spencer asked.

"Yes," Nikolas said. "I'm staying. It's so good to see you, Spencer!"

"I can sleep here now?"

Nikolas and Claudia exchanged a look.

"You bet you can," Claudia said.

"Good. Let me see Jonah," Spencer demanded.

Nikolas looked at Claudia, not exactly sure how this worked. He was new to the brothers thing. Claudia had had two weeks to figure it out.

Claudia nodded at Nikolas, shrugging her shoulders and smiling.

Nikolas lifted Spencer over the cradle.

"He's sleeping," Spencer announced in a whisper. "Kiss," he demanded, reaching for Jonah.

Nikolas lowered Spencer down, and Spencer kissed Jonah on the forehead.

_This is what a perfect moment feels like,_ Claudia thought, watching a moment that she'd long thought would happen without her. And tonight she'd almost lost it all.

When Nikolas looked back at Claudia, she was staring at them, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

Nikolas carried Spencer over to the bed. Claudia joined them.

Spencer positioned himself between them. He closed his eyes, content and confident that sleep would come soon.

Claudia and Nikolas clasped hands over Spencer's head. They stared at each other, as if trying to memorize every detail of each other's face. Nikolas rested his other hand on Claudia's hip and she covered his hand with her own.

Finally, slowly, smiles began to break through. They had time. They had each other.

*******************************************************

Jonah woke up two more times during the night. It turned out that there were some things even Spencer could not sleep through. And that, for better or worse, broke Spencer of ever wanting to sleep in Nikolas and Claudia's room again.


	45. Chapter 44b

At breakfast, when Spencer had announced that Claudia "made animals" and maybe she'd make Daddy an animal too if he wanted one, Claudia had smiled wickedly at Nikolas and said, "Oh, I'm pretty much going to give your Daddy anything he wants for the rest of his life."

Laura had been amused until she glanced at Nikolas and saw him actually blushing.

They were in for an interesting ride.

*******************************************************

Diane Miller found that her "fancy lawyer talk" did not go down well in Beecher's Corners.

Sonny's history of prior arrests meant there was no bail. No matter how much Diane argued that he'd never been convicted.

Sonny was going crazy stuck in a cell.

So far, Ms. Spencer, Mr. Cassadine and Mrs. Corinthos were refusing to drop the charges.

Diane decided to play a little hardball.

*****************************************************

Laura's Garden.

Laura had taken Spencer out for a trip into town.

Claudia and Nikolas sat in the garden, Jonah in Claudia's arms, the empty cradle beside her.

And Nikolas realized that he didn't need to find a perfect moment, he needed to make one.

He slipped down from the bench onto his knee.

At first, Claudia thought he was going to tie a shoelace or something, but then he reached into his pocket and drew out a box.

"Nikolas..." she said.

"I know you hate when I orchestrate everything, but we're not going to argue about this."

"I don't hate --"

"Claudia."

"What?"

He stared at her. She realized she was supposed to be quiet until it was her turn to speak. She closed her mouth.

He smiled at her. "A long time ago, you asked me if I wanted someone to bowl me over. You asked if it wouldn't be better if I were not the architect of that moment. Do you remember?"

"Yes."

"I don't think either one of us expected you to be the one to give me the answer to your questions. But you were. I'm asking you to take a huge leap of faith. I'm taking one too. That we can do this without any good examples to follow. I'm not asking you to change who you are for what you may think I need. I'm not asking for a business arrangement. But I'm hoping you'll also be my partner there. As long as you don't freeze the world."

That was the second "freeze the world" comment Nikolas had made to her. Claudia made a mental note to find out about that later.

"I don't want you with me because you think you owe me. And if Greece is another exile for you, we'll go wherever you want to go. I just..." Nikolas paused and he looked incredibly vulnerable. "I just want to be with you. Forever."

He opened up the box. There was an unusual engagement ring inside. White gold, but the stone in the center was a --

She leaned in for a closer look. It was.

"Nikolas. Are you crazy? Those stones are --"

"You like wearing red, don't you?"

"Yes, but -- "

"Then it's worth it."

Two colorless diamonds surrounded a red one. A red diamond.

Nikolas took the ring from its box. He looked up at Claudia.

"Claudia. Will you marry me?"

"Yes," she said. He went to slip the ring on her finger. "Wait," she said.

***************************************************

Beecher's Corners. Town Square.

Luke had been in every store (all five of them) without any luck. No one wanted to give out Laura's location. They'd all been well-trained.

He was a little sore from driving Diane Miller all the way out here, but he wasn't going to let that stop him.

He was about to head over to the library when he saw them. Spencer and Laura.

Laura was setting Spencer down at the little jungle gym near the center of the square. The boy ran straight for the smaller domed climber.

Laura was about to sit on a bench when she -- well, there was no other word for it. She sensed him.

She turned around and looked straight at him. She seemed to be frozen. So he went over to her.

As he got close, he opened his arms, preparing for a hug. She sat down on the bench.

He stopped in his tracks. And then sat down next to her.

"Not a happy homecoming, huh, angel?," he said.

"Since when do you have a home?," she said.

He ignored the dig. "Tricky, tricky, you hiding Mrs. Corinthos in Beecher's Corners. You can pretend to hate me all you want, but that has to mean something. You were waiting for me."

"I don't hate you, Luke," she said. "But I chose Beecher's Corners because Claudia needed someplace safe. And you and I know that the only time this town has had even a whiff of danger was when we brought it here."

"'_Claudia'_?," Luke said, raising his eyebrow. "You got a new buddy?"

Laura just met Luke's gaze evenly.

"Miss Zacchara is a dangerous lady," Luke said. "She's a trainwreck. You need to watch out for Nikky. She uses people, and then she goes in for the kill."

Laura shook her head. "Why are you here, Luke?"

"I'm here for you," Luke said sincerely.

***************************************************

Laura's Garden.

Claudia put Jonah in his cradle.

"Back up," she said.

Nikolas paused, and then backed up, looking at her quizically.

Claudia lowered herself down so that she was kneeling in front of Nikolas, and they were face-to-face. She caressed his cheek. "For me, exile means being kept away from the people I know and love. As long as I'm with you, I'm not in exile. Okay?"

Nikolas nodded.

"Last night -- I scared myself. You saw how easy it was for me to become the woman I once was. I'm afraid of the future, of a moment where I snap and you're not around to bring me back to myself. Promise me... promise me that if I ever fall completely into darkness, you won't fall down after me. Please, Nikolas. If that happens, let me go."

"Never."

"I don't want to hurt you. Or Spencer. Or Jonah."

"You won't."

"You can't say that. You don't know what will happen because _I_ don't know what will happen."

"Marriage means always."

"Not if one person in the marriage destroys the other one. I came from my father, and he --"

"Claudia, look at my father."

"You don't have any of him in you. I've seen my father in myself. I've done things. Promise me, promise me if it ever reaches the point where I've hurt you so badly that -- "

"That's not going to happen."

"Then it should be an easy promise to make to let me go, right?"

Nikolas was quiet for a long while. And then he lied. "I promise."

"Good. I need to ask you for one more thing. I don't know if it's legal, or if you'll agree to it. It's not a deal breaker, but it's important to me. Jonah doesn't have a middle name. I didn't know whether I was going to make it this far, but I always wanted you to be his father no matter what. And if it's possible, I'd like him to have your patronym. If you can't, then --"

"It's legal. I want it. Done."

Claudia grabbed the back of his head and pulled him to her, kissing him.

He pulled back and put the ring on her finger.

*******************************************************

Beecher's Corners. Town Square.

Spencer had entered into a climbing contest with another little boy. Luckily, the other little boy seemed as overbearing as Spencer. It was all evening out.

Luke sat waiting for a response from Laura.

Finally, she turned to him. "When we were together, we had so many good times. No matter what went wrong, or how much trouble we got into, the good times made it worth it. I believed in 'For better and for worse.' And I understood why you went astray when you went astray. Not that I liked it, but I understood it. I followed you everywhere. Not only all over the country, but all over the world. And for me, that was huge, Luke."

"I know."

"I didn't find Lesley until I was in my teens. All I've ever wanted was a home. And I thought _you_ were my home. So imagine how I feel now, knowing that the good times were a lie. There was no 'for better.' It's my fault. Any other woman would have taken off the blinders. But I loved you so much, I believed in you about everything. And you abused that."

"Darlin', if you'll just let me --"

"Nikolas and Claudia are at their beginning. And it's a gorgeous beginning. They not only speak the same language, they speak the same languages. And they make me wonder: where did we go wrong?"

"If you're looking to Claudia Zacchara as a role model --"

"Don't do that, Luke. I'm not naive. You treat me like I'm some innocent, devoid of experiences that are harsh and cruel. I was forced out of my child's life, Luke. That's something you've never experienced. And you'll never experience that kind of heartbreak. Because you're not responsible, to anyone or anything. When you are, it's just a temporary burst of heroism that breaks through and takes my breath away. But the rest of the time, you have charm. And I've known you too long not to see through the charm."

"You don't love me anymore."

Laura grabbed his hand. "I'll always love you, Luke."

His eyes were tinged with hope.

"But it's over," she said. "You're not my home anymore. Beecher's Corners is. So go home, to Tracy or to Mexico or to trouble. Let me start living again."

Luke stared at her a good long while, his eyes watery.

"Gramma, can we get candy?"

Luke let go of Laura's hand. He stood up and kissed Laura on the forehead. And walked away.

Laura swallowed hard, and turned to Spencer. "I think we should go home and ask Daddy about that. Claudia might be making something special for dinner."

"Okay," Spencer said, holding his hand out.

Laura stood and took his hand.

"That man looked like Grampa Luke," Spencer said.

"He sure did, didn't he?," Laura said.

*******************************************************

Beecher's Corner's. The Town Jail.

Sonny looked horrible. And her news was only partially good.

"This will be over soon," Diane said.

"When?," he asked.

"Claudia and Nikolas have already dropped their charges. We're just waiting for Laura Spencer to do the same."

"Maybe if I talked to her."

"She's waiting, Sonny."

"For what?"

Diane waited for Sonny's penny to drop.

It did. "She's letting them leave the country?," he shouted, enraged.

"Might I remind you that this is the sort of behavior which got you into this mess," Diane said. "I implore you. Find a way to get through the next few hours, go home, and build your business back up so you can afford me."

"Ms. Miller, maybe I should take it from here."

Luke towered over Diane's seat.

"Be my guest," she said, standing.

Diane left, and Luke slid into her empty seat.

"So you went after the Dark Prince," Luke said. "Sloppy move. Bad mistake."

Sonny eyed Luke with suspicion. "Why are you here?"

"Well, originally I was here to woo my lady. But she'd not having any of it, so I figured you could use the company. To distract you from the cage."

"I'm not going to make it, Luke."

"Sure you are. Close your eyes."

Sonny looked at Luke as if he were out of his mind.

"Seriously, Ponyboy, close your eyes."

Sonny reluctantly closed his eyes.

"Now you and me, we're on the shore of Lake Ontario. And we've just sent Marco Dane off in a boat to pick up Frank Smith. And we're --"

"We're bird-watching," Sonny said.

"That's right."

"I'm not doing a bird call, Luke."

Luke could keep this up for as long as his old friend needed him. "Give it time."

********************************************************

Claudia's Bedroom. Night.

The boys had both been put to bed. Nikolas had gone to say good-night to Laura, and when he returned, Claudia was lying on his side of the bed.

He raised his eyebrows.

"What?," she said.

"You're on my side of the bed. I thought you were going to give me whatever I wanted."

"If you want to aim low, Batman, far be it for me to complain."

She moved back onto her side of the bed. And then got up when Nikolas started to take off his shirt.

"Let me help you with that," she said, unbuttoning the rest of his buttons. "Your highness."

"This is dangerous, Claudia."

"Not as dangerous as it's going to be in about five minutes," she said, admiring his body and reaching for his belt buckle.

"You," he said, pulling her hands away from his buckle, "are not allowed to do anything for two weeks. That's what you told me."

"You think that lets you off the hook? I didn't hear _your_ doctor prohibit anything. Let me tell you a little Italian proverb. Per essere l'uomo di una donna di nome Zacchara..." _To be the man of a woman named Zacchara..._

"Oddly enough, this proverb sounds like it's been fabricated for this occasion."

"That's because you suffer from a suspicious nature" she said, barely keeping a straight face. She finished off the proverb. "Per essere l'uomo di una donna di nome Zacchara ... è quello di essere perennemente soddisfatto." _To be the man of a woman named Zacchara ... is to be perpetually satisfied._

His jaw dropped open for a second. She took the opportunity to finish unbuckling his belt. Then he rallied.

"Really?," he said. He grabbed her hands again. "What happens when you're named Cassadine?"

"The proverb gets even more ridiculously convoluted."

He laughed. But when she tried to take his belt off, he stopped her again. She pulled her hands out of his.

"Nikolas. Just because I have to suffer through celibacy, there's no reason you should have to go through it."

"It's not right."

"You know what? I forgot one more condition for marriage: no pedestals."

"It's not a --"

"Seriously, Nik. I'm not a pedestal kind of woman. I can get on my high horse every once in awhile, but not one of those little platforms."

"This is unfair. To you."

"If that's the way you feel about it, I look forward to you making it up to me. Later."

She unbuttoned the top of his pants.

"And next time, you get to be the one who gets pregnant," she said.

And with that she unzipped his pants and pushed him down onto the bed.

******************************************************

Beecher's Corners. Kitchen.

As Laura made her way to the kitchen for a late night snack, she heard voices.

"Uh, yeah, no. Look at me, Nikolas."

"I'm looking at you. Do I ever _not_ look at you? What's wrong with waltzing?"

"Do I look like someone who waltzes? Now, a tango, that's different. You could definitely interest me in a tango."

Laura came into the kitchen to find Claudia on Nikolas' lap, feeding him ice cream. A baby monitor sat on the kitchen table.

"Hi," Claudia said.

"Hello. I'll be out of your hair in a minute."

"On our last night here? You're crazy," Claudia said.

"Come talk to us. Please," Nikolas said.

Laura went to the stove and set the kettle to boil.

Claudia slid into the seat next to Nikolas and licked the spoon before passing it to him. Nikolas grabbed the back of her chair and pulled it closer to him. She leaned against him.

Laura sat down across from them.

"You're sure you want to stay here?," Claudia asked.

Laura smiled at Claudia. "You know how you've been fighting for your life since the day you were born? I've been running for mine. It's time to stop running. And this is the place."

"I'll permit you to stay here," Nikolas said to Laura, "under one condition."

Laura and Claudia burst out laughing.

"What?," Nikolas said, looking from one woman to the other.

"You're like Spencer on steriods," Claudia said.

"Sorry, Nikolas," Laura said, catching her breath. "But that word. 'Permit.'" She wiped a tear from her eye.

"Try this," Claudia suggested. "'I'm happy that you found a place you love, Mom, but I'd like to make a suggestion.'"

Both woman watched Nikolas intently, waiting to hear the next words out of his mouth.

"I'm happy that you ... ," Nikolas began, " ... both find me so amusing."

Claudia pulled him toward her and kissed his cheek.

"I want to fix the plumbing in this house," Nikolas said. "That's all."

"That would be lovely," Laura said. "I think I'll permit you to do that."

"I wish you would come with us," Claudia said to Laura.

"Claudia...," Laura said.

"You know how few people I actually like? And even fewer of them like me back. I think I can count them on the fingers of one hand."

"What she means is that we both would love for you to live with us," Nikolas amended.

"I meant what I said," Claudia said to Nikolas.

Laura laughed again. "I think you'll have your hands full with each other," she said. "And I promise to visit."

******************************************************

The next morning, after saying good-bye to Laura, the soon-to-be Cassadine family boarded the Cassadine jet, Spencer instructing Jonah on the finer points of flight travel. They headed for the Dominican Republic, divorce papers in hand.

As soon as the plane was in the air, Laura called the local police and dropped the charges against Sonny.


	46. Chapter 45

They landed in Athens a few days later. Then on to a small village across the sea from the island.

From there, it was a relatively short boat ride.

Nikolas took Jonah, as Spencer grabbed Claudia's hand and started pointing out all of the landmarks to be seen from the deck.

"There it is!," Spencer suddenly shouted.

Claudia followed Spencer's pointing arm to a... that was no "small" island. It certainly wasn't as small as it had looked on the map she'd studied when she'd first found out she'd be living there.

Nikolas leaned over and whispered in her ear, "What do you think?"

"I think," Claudia murmured back, "That your island could hold the population of Port Charles two times over."

"_Our_ island."

Claudia turned and looked at Nikolas. He had a crooked grin.

"Look, Jonah!," he said. "Look! Mommy's speechless. This happens maybe twice in a lifetime. Don't miss it."

She shook her head, looking back at him as Spencer grabbed her hand and led her around the deck.

*************************************

Viktor met them on shore, accompanied by a bevy of uniformed guards who took their luggage.

Glancing around, it looked like Nikolas had hired what looked like a small army to guard the coastline.

Nikolas helped Claudia into the passenger's side of a Jeep and then lifted Spencer up beside her and handed Jonah to her.

Then he climbed into the driver's side.

*************************************

They drove through some of the most beautiful terrain she'd ever seen, past gardens and tennis courts, past stables and a grove of olive trees.

They reached the house, which was large enough to have room for everything they could ever need, but small enough so they could always find each other.

Nikolas climbed out of the car and came around to first help Spencer out, then to take Jonah from Claudia, and then to help Claudia out of the Jeep.

They approached the door at the front of the house.

And Alfred opened the door.

"Welcome, Master Nikolas. Master Spencer. Miss Zacchara. And..."

"This is Jonah, Alfred," Nikolas said. "The grounds look beautiful. As does the house. Thank you for everything."

"Not at all, sir."

"And your wife?"

"Very much enthralled with her kitchen."

"_Her_ kitchen?," Claudia said, under her breath.

"We'll talk about this later," Nikolas said. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "She's our cook. She's Alfred's wife. Please."

Claudia smiled at Alfred. As soon as Alfred turned his back, she pinched Nikolas.

*************************************

They left Jonah and Spencer with a nanny, Spencer chattering away, "explaining" the island to Jonah.

Nikolas showed Claudia around the house.

Jonah had his own small bedroom off of theirs. Spencer's was right down the hall.

Nikolas' office had windows that went floor to ceiling.

He'd put in a gym for her. "My mother mentioned you might want one," he said.

Claudia thought she'd been so subdued about that. She wondered if Laura had noticed she didn't like anyone else doing the dishes.

And then he brought her to a sunlight-filled room that looked like a study. It was decorated sparingly. There was large oak table that was covered with files.

He looked expectantly at her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

"Do you like it?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"It's your office. I know you have your hands full right now, but I've collected the profiles of all of our holdings and they're here for your review when you have time."

Claudia grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the oak table. She began scanning the files.

"I didn't want to decorate it," Nikolas said, "since you're the one who's going to be spending the most time in here, but I thought maybe you could --"

Claudia turned to him, and silenced him with a kiss that lasted a good long while.

When they finally pulled apart, panting, Claudia said, "If I could make love to you on this table right now, you'd be in more trouble than you could handle."

"I can wait," Nikolas said. "And I can handle it."

*******************************************************************

Nikolas headed downstairs to check on the evening's menu.

As he passed his old school room, he paused in front of it.

It had been left as it had existed the day he left for Port Charles all those years ago.

He went inside, and slowly made his way around the room, brushing his hand over the furniture as he passed it.

He and Claudia had decided to send the boys to school in the village once they were old enough. Their education could always be supplemented, but a childhood full of friends was something both Claudia and Nikolas had yearned for, and all the schooling in the world could never make up for loneliness.

On the plane to Athens, while Spencer slept, Claudia and Nikolas had joked about which languages they would have willingly have given up for a friend growing up.

Once loneliness takes hold of a child, it changes them indelibly. Nikolas and Claudia had that in common.

As he took Claudia around the house, showing her the rooms, while hearing Spencer's voice echoing down the halls, this place was already changing for him.

For this had been the place of his exile, as much as Milan had been for Claudia. This had been the place where he'd been groomed, motherless, for responsibilities rather than a life. And now the island was teeming with his life. And, unbelievably, love.

He took one last look around the room. It was a good size. It would make a good playroom.

He left the room, and closed the door behind him.

*******************************************************************

Jonah was quietly lying in his cradle.

And Claudia went to the phone. She dialed.

After a moment, the call connected.

"Ciao," she said. "E' Claudia. ... Grazie." She drummed her fingers nervously on the bureau top. "Sì, sono arrivato." _Yes, I've arrived._ "Siamo al sicuro." _We're safe._ "Yes, exactly her eyes. ... Uncle Rudy, I wanted to thank you for ... Yes. Yes, I do. I'm forever in your debt. ... Uncle Rudy, is John still there?" Claudia's face fell. "I understand. ... I know. ... I will. ... Ciao."

Claudia hung up the phone and sat down on the bed.

Nikolas came into the room. He took one look at her face and asked, "What happened?"

"I called Italy," she said, her composure crumbling.

He sat beside her on the bed and pulled her close to him.

"You were looking for Johnny."

"I expected this," she said, brushing her tears away.

"Well, yes and no," he said.

"Yeah." She turned her face up to his. "I told Spencer he was my first little boy. But really it was always John."

"Staying here would have meant he was stuck here. It's different for him than it is for us."

"I know. I'm just selfish."

"I know the feeling," he said.

She climbed into his lap and hugged him.

***********************************************************

Four days later, Claudia arranged a family picnic at the beach.

And while they were there, a boat arrived. A transport boat.

Nikolas had been idly watching the coast as it drew nearer. He glanced at Claudia and caught her studying him. She quickly looked away. It looked like she was stifling a grin.

The boat docked and a man went over to one of the guards. Papers were signed.

Nikolas stood up.

"Where are you going?," Claudia said.

"Something's arrived. I didn't arrange for anything to be delivered today."

"I know," Claudia said. "I did."

Slowly, from below deck, a handler led a familiar figure up onto the deck.

Sheba.

Nikolas' horse.

Nikolas began to walk, as if in a trance, toward the landing.

He stopped. He turned and walked back to Claudia, confused. "I sold him."

"Why would you do that?"

"I thought I -- I didn't have time to make arrangements. I wanted him to have a good home."

"And now he does," she said. "I bought him."

Nikolas stared at her.

"What?," she said. "You think you're the only one who's good at surprises?"

The look on his face was priceless.

Nikolas bent down and kissed her. And then he hurried toward the dock.

"Questo è il cavallo di papà," Spencer said. _That's Daddy's horse._

"I know," Claudia said.

She'd been doing her morning crossword puzzle months ago, when she'd noticed a classified ad for Sheba. It had almost broken her heart. Even during her first visit to Spoon Island, which had barely lasted two weeks, she'd noticed how much Nikolas adored that horse. Seeing the ad, she immediately guessed the reasons behind the sale, back when he was determined that she should live, and she was making plans for after her death. So she'd taken some of her own money, out of the small portion which hadn't been put aside for Jonah's trust, and bought Sheba under an assumed name.

She'd used some of the rest of her money to pay for boarding fees. Once she'd gotten the whole scope of Nikolas' plan, it had taken most of her remaining money to arrange transport. All the while, she'd been altering Spinelli's records of her bank accounts and phone calls.

It had been nerve-racking and very risky. But it was worth every penny and stress-inducing moment.

It was enough that he had to leave his family behind for her. She was going to make sure that he never lost anything else.

***************************************************************

Claudia and Nikolas set sail for the mainland.

It was a beautiful day, perfect for sailing, and Claudia turned out to be a pretty good first mate, even though she was wearing completely impractical shoes.

They'd started adoption proceedings. Claudia for Spencer and Nikolas for Jonah. Nikolas would finish up with some paperwork while Claudia went to her doctor's appointment.

Nikolas felt Claudia's chin on his shoulder as he steered the boat closer to the shore.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi."

"This doctor's visit is just for show, to make you feel better." She nipped at his earlobe and Nikolas gripped the steering wheel harder. "I'm ready. I know I am."

"And I believe you," Nikolas said. "But if you're not, please do not kill the doctor. There are few enough as it is in this village."

****************************************************************

They had barely started the journey back to the island.

Nikolas did not give a damn about the weather or the sailing conditions.

The doctor on the mainland had given Claudia the all-clear. Her eyes were raking over him with an undeniable heat. He could barely contain himself as it was, but every time he looked at her and saw her eyes burning, her body in those tight fitting clothes --

Nikolas cursed himself for taking the sailboat. The trip back home was taking too long. With a speedboat, they would have --

His thoughts were interrupted by Claudia grabbing him around the waist from behind.

"Nikolas," she said, her voice rough. "Drop anchor."

Nikolas felt his heart begin to pound faster.

"Seriously, Nik," she said, reaching under his shirt and tracing his muscles. "I'm not going to make it to the island." She pulled at his shirt, ripping it open, the buttons breaking off and falling to the deck.

He turned around to face her. "I have to --"

She unbuttoned the top of his pants. "Months, Nikolas. Months of waiting."

Nikolas grabbed her and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. They made their way to the mast, while kissing each other.

He lowered himself on the deck, began taking the sail down. Claudia took off her shirt, losing her balance, falling backwards onto the deck. She reached up, stroking his chest.

He left the sail, lowering himself on top of her, kissing her neck and collarbone, unbuttoning the top of her pants.

He jerked himself away from her and finished taking the sail down.

He was trying to drive her crazy, she thought, with those bulging biceps.

A moan escaped her lips.

He quickly pressed the button to drop the anchor and returned to her.

Lifted her up again. Her lips on his. Her legs around his waist. Arms around his neck.

He carried her to the entrance to the below-deck quarters. He pulled his lips away from hers. "We don't have a bed," he managed to tell her.

"Try," she said, in between kisses, "Try... to imagine ... how little ... I care."

They stumbled below deck, without breaking apart for even a moment.

********************************************

Pentonville Prison. Upstate New York.

Anthony had been on his best behavior. There were gonna be no more outbursts, no more explosions of violence. He was gonna get out early no matter what it took.

A guard had come to him during afternoon yard recreation. Said he had a visitor. Anthony quietly and peacefully followed the guard up to the visiting area.

He was led to a seat. Someone he had never seen before was seating across from him. She gestured from behind the bulletproof divider. Anthony picked up his phone.

"Yeah?," he said.

"Anthony Zacchara?"

"Yeah."

The woman did not speak again. She just stared at him, studying him.

"I'm not getting any younger, lady. What do you want?"

"I'm Helena Cassadine. I believe your daughter has something I want."

"Then talk to her. She's definitely not gonna listen to me."

"I think an alliance between the two of us could prove exceedingly beneficial. You and me, that is."

"You and me? You think I'd team up with a _woman_?" He laughed and then glanced around, making sure his outburst had gone unnoticed. He lowered his voice. "Anthony Zacchara does not _ally_ himself with anyone. And I definitely do not partner up with the weaker, emotional, more treacherous sex."

"And I do not, as a rule, partner up with thugs. Unless the partnership has something I need. If you can stifle your Neanderthal instincts for a moment, and gather what pitiful bits and pieces are left of your mind, you might find what I have to say very interesting."

"If it's about my daughter, I doubt it. I'd be happy never to see that conniving slut again."

Helena sat back, pleased. "Well, I see you do have _some_ brain cells functioning. Tell me, Mr. Zacchara: how soon do you get out for good behavior?"

*******************************************

There is an island off the coast of Greece where the white warm sand covers the beach. Where the bluest ocean sends its waves to the shore.

And there is an awning set a little bit back on the shore. The sun is going down, but the beach is well-lit enough to see the little boy toddling around the man and the woman as they join hands.

An elderly couple stands nearby, as witnesses.

The priest gestures to the baby in a nearby cradle. He gestures to the little boy.

And then he steps toward the man and the woman.

When he asks, "Who giveth this woman in marriage?," the woman answers, "I give myself."

Neither the man nor the woman stumble over each other's names, even though "Claudia Antonia Zacchara" and "Nikolas Mikhail Stavrosovich Cassadine" are each quite a mouthful.

The vows aren't hurried, or said with a sort of deadening solemnity. Instead, it's as if both the man and the woman know that it's not the wedding that's important, but rather the marriage that is. They look into each other's eyes, and it's as if no other couple has ever said these words before, as if they have been invented for just this occasion. (And there is no "obey").

And when the priest asks for the rings, and the little boy accidentally drops them in the sand, no one takes it as a bad omen. Instead, the man and the woman laugh, and kneel down to help the little boy find the rings. Which he does.

The rings are exchanged. And when the priest says "You may now kiss the bride," the bride gets a mischievous look on her face and corrects the priest: "He _will_ now kiss the bride."

The groom grins. She grabs his shirt. He wraps his arm around her waist. And they draw each other close. Her arms wind around him. They are still kissing when the priest says, "I now pronounce you husband and wife." In fact, they don't break apart even when the man lifts the woman and carries her toward the main house. The little boy trails in their wake, singing of pirates, and spinning on the sand. The elderly man picks up the cradle and takes the elderly woman by the arm. They follow the little boy.

The priest hurries after all of them, calling after them, asking about the signing of the marriage certificate.

************************************

And so we leave Nikolas and Claudia on the beach on their little island in Greece, heading toward their wedding night. They did eventually sign their marriage certificate, but not much else is known.

It is not known whether Claudia ever saw her brother again. It is not known whether Anthony Zacchara was ever released from prison. It is not known whether Helena's new plan ever came to fruition.

What _is_ known is that a little more than two years from the day they were married, Nikolas and Claudia added the final member to their family. She was a little girl whom they named Laura Domenica Nikolaevichna Cassadine, whom everyone called Laura. And she was in every way her brothers' equal.


End file.
